Testosterone seems to get held responsible for everything men do wrong! But, if you (the guy) have an excess of or too little testosterone, infertility is a possibility. If testosterone levels aren’t just right the man will have a tough time producing or delivering sperm.

To give you an idea: testosterone is made in the testes, which are in the scrotum. Two hormones FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone) promote the making of testosterone. Thus, if there is a problem with the pituitary gland, which makes FSH and LH, or the hypothalamus, which distributes gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) which stimulates the pituitary to manufacture LH and FSH, then testosterone manufacture will also be affected. Phew! In puberty, it is testosterone that stimulates the secondary sexual features – all those embarrassing things like voice breaking. It is also responsible for regulating the libido.

Hypogonadism is a condition where you don’t have enough testosterone. You might be born with a problem or it can happen at any time, and it can be brought about by a problem with the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland or the testes amongst other things. The shortage of testosterone attacks every aspect of your sexuality. You have low libido, erectile difficulties and decreased sperm count. Other indicators of hypogonadism include hot flashes, enlarged breast tissue, less facial and body hair, an increase in body fat and mood swings. Usually an endocrinologist (hormone specialist) is the only one who will be able to give you a definite diagnosis. You could treat the symptoms by supplementing the testosterone in your body with medication, but you’ll have to take extra measures to boost your fertility. Make sure your doctor knows that you want to conceive as this can impact your treatment.

You probably didn’t realize that lots of testosterone could be a problem, but hypergonadism might also bring about infertility. This is a lot rarer than hypogonadism and more difficult to treat. Men who suffer from hypergonadism will experience abnormal hair growth, enlarged breast tissue, increased muscle mass (the only good news), early puberty and acne.

Too much testosterone could also be a problem for the women as it can cause PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), a common factor in female infertility. Women with PCOS will struggle to shed weight, and they could experience excess facial hair, acne and irregular or absent periods. So, clearly, testosterone is crucial for all aspects of reproduction and a lack of it in men, and an excess of it in men or women may cause infertility. With the right amount of testosterone, infertility is unlikely. Perhaps the most difficult thing to deal with if you suffer from hyper- or hypogonadism is your opinion of yourself as a man, so don’t be reluctant to get help.

Here is more information on What is Infertility. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Infertility.

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