Home Men's Health How Does Hypogonadism Affect Your Sex Life?

How Does Hypogonadism Affect Your Sex Life?

by Glenn Fitzpatrick

When your body’s ability to produce sperm or testosterone is impaired, that condition is generally referred to as hypogonadism. It can affect males of all ages, even infants. However, when the condition manifests in your advanced years, the condition is then referred to as late-onset hypogonadism.

Whether you’re still young or already an elderly adult, hypogonadism in all its forms and variations can negatively impact your sex life, as well as your fertility. Continue reading to learn about how your sex life can be ruined by hypogonadism.

How is Hypogonadism Diagnosed?

For a clinical diagnosis of hypogonadism, certain characteristic signs and symptoms must accompany reduced testosterone levels. According to the International Society for the Study of Aging Male, there are several physical, cognitive, and sexual symptoms associated with hypogonadism.

Among the physical symptoms of hypogonadism, some of the most common include anemia, reduced energy, loss of body hair, reduced endurance, fatigue, obesity, reduced lean muscle mass, and diminished physical performance.

Cognitive symptoms of hypogonadism, on the one hand, include irritability, reduced motivation, depressive symptoms, poor memory, as well as poor concentration. Cognitive dysfunction may also be present.

How Hypogonadism Affects Your Sex Life

Even if we don’t consider the sexual symptoms related to hypogonadism, one can already imagine how your sex life would suffer just by looking at the physical and cognitive symptoms of hypogonadism.

You constantly feel drained of energy and fatigued. You feel depressed and irritable. You can’t concentrate well, and you don’t feel motivated. When you’re dealing with all of these symptoms, it would be quite difficult to summon any desire for sex, which would explain why men with hypogonadism often have a reduced sex drive.

not in the mood for morning sex

Sexual symptoms of hypogonadism include less frequent morning erections, erectile dysfunction, low libido, reduced orgasm intensity, and other orgasm problems, as well as a decrease in sexual thoughts and fantasies.

Each of the sexual symptoms linked with hypogonadism can negatively affect your sex life, even if you don’t experience all of these symptoms. Of course, erectile dysfunction would make it difficult for you to engage in penetrative sexual intercourse, and orgasm problems would make your sexual experience less satisfying.

What’s even more problematic is that hypogonadism also affects your fertility. A diminished ability to produce sperm is actually one of the signs of hypogonadism as well. And if your serum total concentration of testosterone is low, it means that whatever sperm you produce doesn’t get enough nourishment.

That’s because your growing spermatozoa are actually physically supported and nourished by your Sertoli cells in your testicles. And your Sertoli cells need testosterone in order to perform these functions. This helps explain why hypogonadic men often have very low sperm counts. And sometimes, they don’t produce any live sperm at all.

Natural Ways to Treat Hypogonadism

The American Association of Urology generally refers to 300 ng/dL as the cut-off for diagnosing low testosterone levels. If your total testosterone concentration is below that level, and you’re experiencing one or more symptoms of hypogonadism, then you should try to naturally boost your testosterone levels if you’re not ready for hormone therapy yet.

In truth, there are some risks associated with testosterone replacement therapy, which is why doctors typically recommend it for those who are clinically diagnosed with hypogonadism.

The human body actually makes use of a complex feedback mechanism to regulate hormone production. When you undergo testosterone replacement therapy, you’re basically introducing externally produced testosterone into your body. However, your body won’t know that you got your testosterone from an external source.

What your hormonal feedback mechanism will notice is that your testosterone levels are high, so it will limit your internal testosterone production. When your testicular cells are no longer producing testosterone, they will atrophy and die. In fact, testicular shrinkage due to atrophied testicular cells is actually common among men on long-term hormone therapy.

herbal supplement capsules

This is why you should consider natural testosterone boosters since such herb-based solutions promote internal production of testosterone. Among the numerous herbs that are known to help men with low testosterone levels, some of the most effective include Tongkat Ali, fenugreek, and Tribulus terrestris.

These herbs are particularly helpful if your goal is to improve your sexual performance and not just increase your testosterone levels. Tongkat Ali, in particular, is extremely beneficial for those who have low testosterone production rates.

In a 2012 study, for example, researchers tested whether Tongkat Ali would be helpful for aging men suffering from late-onset hypogonadism. A total of 76 men participated in the study, and they took 200 mg of Tongkat Ali every day for a month. After the treatment period, more than 90% of the participants showed normal testosterone levels.

On top of raising testosterone levels in men with hypogonadism, Tongkat Ali is also excellent for enhancing erectile function. Several recent studies have noted that Tongkat Ali or Eurycoma longifolia Jack, as it is referred to scientifically, shows evidence of being effective in treating male sexual disorders, particularly erectile dysfunction.

While Tongkat Ali directly influences testicular production of testosterone, fenugreek, on the one hand, helps protect the testosterone that you produce from being converted into other hormones.

As an aromatase inhibitor, fenugreek is best taken in combination with testosterone production enhancers such as Tongkat Ali, Tribulus terrestris, or Horny Goat Weed. Ashwagandha and zinc are also particularly helpful in improving testosterone levels.

If you’re already deficient in testosterone, you can’t afford to be deficient in zinc as well. This important mineral is actually needed not only for synthesizing your primary male sex hormone, but also for producing sperm. This means that if you have hypogonadism, you should always make sure that your zinc levels are sufficient.

And if you want to see improvements in your sex drive and erectile function, these herbs will surely help. Tribulus terrestris, Horny Goat Weed, and Ashwagandha are actually popular as natural aphrodisiacs since they’re very effective in increasing your sex drive. Plus, they have also been proven helpful for men with erectile dysfunction.

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