What You Need to Know About Testosterone Replacement Therapy

 

 

Testosterone is a hormone that’s primarily produced in the male testicles (a smaller amount is produced in women’s ovaries) and is vital to the development of a man’s masculine traits and overall growth. The production of testosterone usually peaks sometime during adolescence or into early adulthood. Beyond that, it’s just natural for testosterone levels to start slightly dropping with each passing year.

Testosterone plays a huge role in building strong bones and muscle mass. It’s responsible for making a man’s voice deeper along with contributing to their overall sex drive as well.

 

The Role of Hormone Therapy

The potential of hormone replacement therapy is very alluring for some men. Why? Testosterone therapy has the ability to improve overall energy levels, boost libido, sharpen concentration levels and memory, and enhance muscle mass. As men age, testosterone therapy sounds somewhat like the ‘fountain of youth’ or the ultimate formula for anti-aging. However, the health benefits and advantages for testosterone therapy aren’t exactly clear and must therefore be carefully considered. Here’s what researchers on the subject do know:

 

Testosterone helps men maintain the following:

Bone density

Red blood cell production

Fat distribution

Sperm count production

Sex drive

Muscle mass and strength

 

What is Hypogonadism?

Hypogonadism refers to a disease where the body can no longer produce adequate amounts of testosterone because of an issue with the testicles or sometimes with the pituitary gland that works to control the sex organs. However, testosterone replacement therapy from Genemedics Health Institute and similar pharmaceutical companies can address the many signs regarding low testosterone in men. Doctors often prescribe testosterone through injections, patches, gels, or pellets.

 

Testosterone Levels and Aging

As men continue to grow older, they can experience a variety of signs and symptoms that may or may not be directly linked to testosterone. Some, however, may in fact happen due to a drop in testosterone levels and can include the following:

 

• Physical Changes

A number of physical changes may occur, including decreased bone density, reduced muscle strength and bulk, and increased body fat. Body hair loss and tender, swollen breasts (gynecomastia) are also possible. Men often have considerable less energy and can even experience hot flashes.

 

• Sexual Function and Performance Changes

This may involve fewer spontaneous erections (including during sleep), decreased sexual desire, and even infertility.

 

• Emotional Changes

Low testosterone levels often contribute to a decline in self-confidence or motivation. Men sometimes feel depressed or sad without really knowing why, have trouble remembering things, or maintaining their focus.

 

• Sleep Pattern Changes

At times, low testosterone levels cause sleep disturbances or insomnia in some men.

 

It’s crucial to note that many of these symptoms are a natural part of the aging process. Others can be due to a number of underlying factors such as excessive alcohol abuse, chronic depression, thyroid issues, or medication side effects. In fact, a blood test is the only real way to diagnose low testosterone levels.

 

Categories: aging, Hormone Therapy, hypogonadism, low testosterone, testosterone replacement therapy

Gender Identity Disorder: Diagnosis and Treatment

There are many well-known phrases that make bigger implications than we realise – such as boys will be boys – but what happens when boys want to be girls, or vice versa? Gender Identity Disorder (GID) can play a huge role in an individual’s sexual health, and overall wellbeing, with people feeling that their body does not match who they are on the inside. Also known as gender identity confusion, gender dysphoria, transgenderism and transsexualism, the condition can cause some people to use clothing and cosmetics to explore this identity, while others may choose to change their appearance with hormones or even surgery.

 

According to noted wellness writer Maria Trimarchi, ‘Mental health professionals believe there are three components that make up our gender identity: our sexual orientation, behaviour and mannerism preferences, and core gender identity (that gut feeling we have about the gender we identify with). In most of us, these three components and our anatomy align as male or female. For some, however, these components don’t all match up. The cause of gender identity disorder is still being debated. Theories suggest it is caused by genetic abnormalities, endocrine problems like a testosterone or oestrogen imbalance in the womb, social factors like parenting or some combination of issues.’ But at what age do parents begin to see symptoms of GID in children?

 

There are five steps to diagnosing GID: diagnostic assessment, psychotherapy, real-life experience, hormone therapy and surgery. Trimarchi explains, ‘The process begins when a person consults a mental health professional, who performs sessions of psychotherapy and formulates a diagnosis. To become a candidate for gender reassignment surgery, a person must first be diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder (GID) or gender dysphoria. The International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) lists gender identity disorder as a disorder and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-V) lists gender dysphoria.’

 

The reason why diagnosis is important is because there is a wide range of variables that fall under the GID umbrella, and prospective candidates for gender reassignment surgery must work with a mental health professional for the right diagnosis. Once the diagnosis is complete, there are three phases left for patients who wish to undergo surgery:

 

1. Hormone therapy

 

2. Real-Life Experience, or the Real-Life Test

 

3. Surgery to change genitalia and other sex characteristics

 

Trimarchi notes, ‘Not all transgender people need all three phases of therapy; each path to gender reassignment is tailored to the person…Before a patient can begin hormone therapy or breast surgery, a mental health professional must write a letter of recommendation to the physician providing medical treatment. In addition to the letter, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health’s Standards of Care require several eligibility and readiness criteria for hormone therapy.’ To undergo hormone therapy, you must:

 

• Be 18 years of age


• Understand what the medical ability of hormones, as well as their social benefits and risks


• Have either a minimum of three months of psychotherapy or a documented three month real-life experience


• Show stable or improved mental health


• Demonstrate ability to take hormones in a responsible manner

 

Trimarchi details, ‘The Real-Life Experience immerses the individual into life as his or her preferred gender. The candidate is required to maintain full or part-time employment (or attend school full or part-time), legally change his or her first name to one that is gender appropriate and prove that people other than the therapist and doctor know his or her desired gender. After 12 months of continuous and successful hormone therapy and Real-Life Experience, the individual is eligible for genital surgery. Two letters of recommendation, usually one from the mental health professional and one from the hormone-prescribing physician, are required for surgery.’

Categories: diagnosis, gender dysphoria, gender identity, gender reassignment, health professional, Hormone Therapy, identity disorder, life experience, Mental Health, Real Life, treatment

The Science of Desire: How to Get Your Sex Life Going Again

Once you reach a certain age, you almost feel like saying “goodbye” to your sexual wellbeing. Your body does not respond to sex in the same way it did when you were younger, and so you find other aspects of your wellness – such as your self-esteem and connection to your partner – waning. However, there are scientifically-proven ways to get your sexual health back on track, no matter your age, so how can you get back into the saddle, so to speak?

 

 

1. Low testosterone: While we tend to think of testosterone as a male hormone, small amounts fuel a woman’s sex drive. However, when you go through menopause, your testosterone starts to decline, and your desire plummets with it. This is especially noticeable if you’re also using hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The first think you need to do is talk to your gynaecologist and get a blood test, and then stabilise your testosterone. Studies have shown this impact all areas of sexual wellness, from lubrication to stronger, more powerful orgasms. So, how do you do it?

 

Doctors sometimes prescribe testosterone gel, but you may be concerned that it will make you grow hair on your chin or give you huge muscles. However, Anita Clayton, MD, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Virginia and author of Satisfaction: Women, Sex, and the Quest for Intimacy, explains, ‘The doses prescribed for women aren’t large enough to stimulate male characteristics.’ Certified sex researcher Beverly Whipple, PhD, professor emerita at Rutgers University and co-author of The Science of Orgasm, recommends libido-boosting herbs, such as ArginMax for Women. This nutritional supplement – which contains ginseng, ginkgo, multivitamins, and minerals – improves your sexual desire, including clitoral sensation and orgasm frequency, by up to 74%.

 

 

2. Distraction: While women are known to be good at multi-tasking, going over your shopping list during sex is probably not the best way to get into the moment. Research has shown that women’s brains are naturally more active than men’s, even during sex, due to lower levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Clayton comments, ‘Dopamine creates the desire to go after a reward—in this case, an orgasm.’ Dopamine also plays an important role in increasing the flow of sensory impulses to the genitals, which is essential for arousal. Therefore, low levels of dopamine can distract you during sex.

 

If you get distracted during sex, you might want to get yourself tested for attention deficit disorder (ADD). Daniel G. Amen, MD, a psychiatrist, brain imaging specialist, and author of Sex on the Brain, notes that ADD may be associated with low dopamine levels. However, he says the good news is that ‘when a woman is finally treated for ADD, usually with a combination of drug therapy and behaviour modification, it improves her sex life—not to mention the rest of her life as well.’ Another option is to try a DHEA supplement, which may increase your production of dopamine and tends to spike right before you have orgasm to enhance desire and focus. However, Clayton warns that DHEA can affect some people’s cholesterol levels, and recommends no more than 25mg to 50mg, so check with your doctor before taking it.

 

 

3. Dryness: If it’s dry down below, sex can be the last thing you want. The lining of your vagina is extremely sensitive to oestrogen, which means it becomes less sensitive as you age your body starts producing less oestrogen during perimenopause. Some women turn to hormone therapy for help, but there are other solutions available. Whipple advises you use a lubricant that goes straight to the source, such as Zestra. This is a non-prescription feminine arousal fluid made from botanical oils, which stimulates your nerves and blood vessels to increase arousal. Whipple adds that insertable vaginal oestrogen rings or tablets can significantly improve lubrication without the risks of oral hormone therapy, such as increased breast cancer risk.

Categories: desire, Distraction, dopamine, dryness, Hormone Therapy, low testosterone, nbsp, nbsp nbsp, sex life, Testosterone, Women

Is it Safe for Transsexuals to Undergo Hormone Therapy?

Some transexual individuals undergo surgical and hormonal therapies, as they believe their external characteristics don’t match up with the person they are inside. Many wellness experts are concerned about how hormone therapy can put patients’ wellbeing at risk, as it involves receiving large doses of male or female sex hormones. However, a new study, presented at The Endocrine Society’s 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco, has found that hormonal therapy for transexual patients is safe and effective, with few side effects.

 

According to study lead author Dr. Katrien Wierckx, an endocrinologist at Ghent University Hospital in Belgium, ‘Although transexualism remains a rare diagnosis, the number of trans persons seeking hormonal or surgical treatment has drastically increased in recent years, making a detailed multi-centre description on the effects of cross-sex hormonal treatment timely. Our study gives valuable information about the effects of drastic changes in sex steroids on glucose and lipid metabolism, cardiovascular and bone health, so that we can inform our future clients, their families and other caregivers more accurately on the desired effects, side effects and adverse events of cross-sex hormonal treatment.’

 

For the study, 45 transexual men and 42 transexual women at four European centres in Ghent, Oslo, Amsterdam and Florence –  that specialise in transgender treatment – were given treatment for a year. Those transitioning from male to female were given anti-androgen treatment in combination with a form of oestrogen, while female-to-male transexuals received a form of the male sex hormone testosterone. Throughout the study, the researchers measured participants’ waist-to-hip ratio, blood pressure, and the percentages of fat and lean tissue mass, and follow-up was one year.

 

Those transitioning from male to female experienced breast tenderness, hot flashes, emotional behaviour, decreased interest in sexual activity, significantly increased fat tissue and decreased lean tissue and muscle. Those transitioning from female to male had an increased interest in sexual desire, greater variation in tone of voice, more acne and body hair, increased lean tissue and muscle and decreases in fat tissue. Neither group experienced serious complications, and the researchers noted that this could also help clarify the safety of hormone therapy for other indications.

 

Wierckx explained, ‘Studies in transexual persons generate knowledge on the similarities and differences between men and women. This is why some of our findings can be extrapolated to other, more common conditions that are associated with changes in sex steroid hormones, such as hyperandrogenism in women, for example, polycystic ovarian syndrome; or androgen deprivation therapy in men, for example, when undergoing prostate cancer treatment, or treatment for sex offenders.’

Categories: Hormone Therapy, Research, transexuals