Testosterone is a very important male hormone responsible for puberty changes and the development of sex organs. It plays a crucial role in sperm production and sexual performance.
In other words, when you have a low level of testosterone, and it interferes with your sex drive, supplements are often prescribed. Testosterone replacement therapy is very effective in treating and improving these symptoms; the treatment can be in the form of gel, injection, and patch pr injectable pellet.
However, taking this hormone can affect your fertility, and this is a problem if you are looking to boost your libido and get your partner pregnant.
Can Low Testosterone be Treated?
Low testosterone, also called hypogonadism, can be treated with medicine through shots, injection, gel, or injectable pellets. Men who have low testosterone or show specific symptoms/signs associated with low testosterone can be considered for treatment.
Each treatment comes with its advantages and disadvantages, and sometimes the bad outweighs the good. With each passing year, the numbers of men who opt for testosterone treatment have increased significantly nationwide.
Is Low Testosterone a Cause of Infertility?
Sperm production is stimulated by a different hormone other than testosterone. In other words, low testosterone doesn’t cause infertility.
Although testosterone is required for sperm production, the concentration in the testes where sperm production occurs is way higher than in the blood. Sometimes, men who have low testosterone levels can still have enough testosterone levels for sperm production.
What are the Chances of a Man Who is on Testosterone and Still Wants Children?
You should consult a male reproductive specialist if you are taking testosterone and still want children in the future. If you still wish to have your biological children, then testosterone treatment is not for you.
It would be much better to treat the particular low testosterone symptom that you are experiencing, than opt for the testosterone replacement therapy. For instance, a disorder in the pituitary gland can adversely affect testosterone levels in the body.
Still, you can choose being treated with a pituitary hormone – HCG – as it increases your testosterone level without interfering with sperm production. When you are done having kids of your own, then you can decide to treat low testosterone directly.
But also, if you still want to go ahead with the treatment regardless of the effect it may have – lowered sperm count and hormone alterations – then it may be best to consider freezing of the sperm for later use.
If an Infertile Man is on Testosterone, What are His Options?
He should see a male reproductive specialist who can conduct a complete physical examination for him. He would need to have hormone testing and a minimum of two semen analyses to be sure of a diagnosis. He would also need to stop taking testosterone.
After that, continuous checking of semen analyses should be carried out periodically because it could be months before his sperm count returns to normal.
Testosterone and Fertility
Studies have shown that testosterone plays a vital role in the production of sperm. Your brain produces gonadotropin-releasing hormones (GnRH). And these hormones send messages to the testes to produce more testosterone which is needed for a major sperm count.
When you start making use of testosterone replacement therapy, the level of testosterone in your body is increased and your brain stops sending messages to your testes to produce more testosterone. Immediately your testes stop producing testosterone, the production of sperm in your body begins to reduce.
Having a lowered production of sperm makes it difficult for you to conceive a child. Researchers have advised that if you have reproductive goals you should avoid using testosterone replacement therapy.
Low testosterone levels affect the fertility in men. It reduces their sex drive, libido and causes erectile dysfunction. Low testosterone levels can occur as a result of various reasons which include: natural aging, excessive intake of alcohol, the use of marijuana, stress and severe use of Opioid.
It is important to note that men who want to conceive should not involve themselves with testosterone replacement therapy because it may cause severe harm.
What is Testosterone Replacement Therapy Treatment?
It is well known that low testosterone in men leads to a reduction in his sex drive. It also aids in erectile dysfunction. There are numerous methods for boosting your testosterone levels of which testosterone replacement therapy is included.
Testosterone replacement therapy is the treatment that is done to boost the testosterone levels in man by adding testosterone his body. Testosterone replacement therapy can be administered in various forms which include: injectable form, gels and creams, oral tablets, implantation directly under the skin, patches and nasal sprays.
Testosterone replacement therapy might seem like the best option, but there are a lot of reasons why it cannot be so.
Can Testosterone Therapy Promote Youth and Vitality?
Research has shown that testosterone replacement therapy aids in the treatment of hypogonadism. But till date, it is not certain whether testosterone therapy is beneficial to older men.
Although there are some claims that after the use of testosterone replacement therapy, some men begin to feel more vigorous and younger, there has not been any shown evidence.
Some research has shown that testosterone replacement therapy aids in the improvement of sexual activities in men, but there is not enough evidence to back up the fact that it aids in increasing vitality and energy in men.
What are the Risks of Testosterone Therapy for Normal Aging?
Testosterone replacement therapy has numerous side effects such as:
- It worsens the case of sleeping apnea in men- this is a condition whereby a person experiences difficulties with breathing while sleeping.
- You begin to experience skin reactions and acne.
- A lowered level of testosterone
- Shrinkage in a male’s sex organ
- Production of excess red blood cells which could lead to a risk of blood clot being formed.
- Enlargement of breast
- An increase in existing prostate cancer and the stimulation of noncancerous increase of the benign prostatic hyperplasia.
How to Treat Infertility in Men
Many men who battle with infertility have more than one cause, so it’s essential to visit a doctor and determine the exact cause of infertility. Although, in some cases, you might never find a cause, because it can sometimes be unidentified.
Conducting infertility tests can be expensive, and the diagnosis problems usually involve:
Semen Analysis
Semen samples can be obtained by masturbation and ejaculating into a container at the doctor’s office. However, due to some individuals’ religious beliefs, it can be collected during sexual intercourse using a special condom.
Afterward, the semen is sent to the laboratory, and careful observation is carried out to determine the mobility, morphology of the sperm. Also, there would be a test for any sign of infection.
Often, sperm counts fluctuate significantly, so several tests are to be carried out over time to ensure accurate results.
General Physical Analysis
This is more like a therapy session, and it involves answering questions about inherited health conditions, injuries, or surgeries that can affect infertility. It also includes a close examination of the genitals and more questions about your sexual habits and developments during the stages of puberty.
Treatments for male infertility can sometimes be tricky, as the cause may not be identified. However, general treatments include:
Treating Sexual Intercourse Problems
Medications can help improve erectile dysfunction or even premature ejaculation, which can cause infertility. So treatment these conditions can help improve fertility in men.
Surgery
For instance, a Varicocele can be surgically corrected, and prior vasectomies can even be reversed. Vasectomy is a minor surgery that involves blocking sperm from reaching the semen. You would still get to ejaculate semen after sex/masturbation, but it would have no sperm in it.
In a case where there is no sperm ejaculated after ejaculation, the sperm can be gotten back from the testicles using sperm-retrieval methods.
Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)
This treatment involves the collection of sperm through normal ejaculation, surgical extraction, or even from donors, depending totally on your preference. The sperm is used to perform Vitro fertilization, or it can be directly inserted into the female genital tract.
How Else Can You Treat Low Testosterone
Some other medicines and injections can raise testosterone levels, such as citrate, letrozole, and even pituitary hormone injections.
When using these medications, hormone levels and semen analyses should be carefully monitored as they can often lead to a hormonal imbalance and, in frequent cases, decrease sperm count.
How to Increase Low Testosterone Levels
Alternatively, if you don’t want to go through the stress of having to worry about side effects in trying to raise your testosterone levels, you can go for supplements/boosters that contain natural ingredients like:
- Zinc
- Maca Root
- Fenugreek
- Long Jack
- Vitamin D
There are certain foods as well, which play essential roles in maintaining a healthy testosterone level. Diets that are rich in Zinc and Vitamin D are crucial in testosterone production like:
- Egg yolks
- Tuna
- Oysters
- Beans
- Beef
- Garlic and Ginger
- Honey
- Almonds
- Spinach
- Salmon
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