Testosterone levels decreasing

[QueenOfJammyDodgers]

I've recently read a couple of articles and studies detailing a generational decrease in male testosterone.

One study found that a 65-year-old man in 1987 had about 17 percent more testosterone than a 65- year-old man in 2004.

Surely this is quite worrying?

That is interesting! I’ve googled and there could be a positive explanation, those high 1987 levels could be related to higher smoking then. Negative possible explanations include obesity increasing and more exposure to plastics.
If you click on the three little dots on your opening post you could report to mumsnet and ask to move to a health board. You are in feminist chat at present, so you won’t get many clicks.

There is some research which found when men’s partners give birth and especially if they are involved in care giving they have reduced testosterone.

Surely this is quite worrying?

Why? Is it causing anyone problems?

Maybe, jellyfrizz
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testosteroneanddthecardiovascularrsystem

But bugger all to do with feminism &women's rights.
Health board or maybe the Dadsnet board might be more apt?

Also not sure why this is in fwr.

I remember a lot of stuff decades ago about how women on the pill pissing was getting into the water and destroying fish/ men/ everything...

Men still seem to be procreating and alive etc so what's the concern?.
Many women in the UK are having their hormones artificially altered from puberty to post menopause...

Can’t say it will keep me up at night, no. Anyway, isn’t reduced testosterone linked to reduced aggression? Maybe it’s a good thing that men have less of it, though male violence still seems pretty high. But the people who mentioned obesity and smoking are probably right.

Didn't you have blood tests?

DH is on testosterone through the NHS. His was through the floor. They had no trouble diagnosing it, it's easily measured in the blood.

So you're paying privately for testosterone which you self diagnosed and a private doc agreed with in 10 mins ie with no blood test.

Righty ho.

Does falling testosterone have any impact on fertility? I'm embarrassingly clueless about it.

This is the weird thing.

The studies they use as the standard for 'normal' were done years ago I think and not a very wide group. I've read some stuff that suggests that actually 'normal' may be a much wider range than they realised.

Theres a lot of preconceptions and bias around it all as well as it's THE hormone that 'makes a man a man' as it were.

I think more study is needed.

We have no idea if DH had low testosterone for years and that was normal for him, or if something changed. It was discovered when he had a blood test for something unrelated.

@ArabellaScott

Does falling testosterone have any impact on fertility? I'm embarrassingly clueless about it.

The OP mentioned 65 year olds... so that might not be a bad thing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paternalagee_effect

Very interesting, Errol, thank you!

Interesting. I didn't know that but I did read that transgender men maintain ovary function even after one year of testosterone treatment. I wonder how/if 1 year of testosterone treatment would impact the brain development of a fetus carried by a trans man.

That's not true. DH testosterone is compared to 'normal' range for his age.

I've been to some appts with him so I know first hand.

So it's not NHS policy. Maybe you were unlucky with your doctors that you saw.

'Not to be argumentative, but I know a lot about this as I've researched it for several years, read loads of research docs and spoken to literally dozens of people about this on dedicated forums - people on both NHS/private treatment, and also lots of hormone specialists'

Not to be argumentative, but...!

So you've researched it a lot then gone private.

That's fine.

I am telling you. That DH got bloods done on the NHS for something else. About 5 years ago. They said testosterone through the floor. They sent him to a specialist. He had a gel. Which didn't sort it bloods wise. Now he gets an injection. All through NHS. And going back 5 years or so.

Have you looked into other reasons for lack of drive? I'm being genuine here. DH, his behaviour hasn't changed pre/ post therapy. I'm not convinced that it wasn't normal for him. Nor is he.

So. In short. Don't think of this therapy as a fix all? Loads of people are a bit miserable. Think life is a bit shit. Testosterone may seem like a magic bullet. But. Is that the real problem?

Have you tried, I dunno. Counselling?

Some men aren't that highly sexed, and that's ok, no matter what the stereotypes say.

I don't think DH has ever had a ONS. He wouldn't like that. Have you had trouble in established relationships.

Some men aren't hot dogs. And that's fine.

Having said that if you are getting better with this that's great.

But the idea that the NHS only give testosterone therapy to cancer survivors and the other stuff you you've said. Is simply not true. I know this first hand.

If it's 5 years he would have been 36.

Horn dogs.

Not hot dogs!

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/may/24/toxic-america-sperm-counts-plastics-research

Sperm count in men on average are also down. I know plastic is suspected. I wonder if it’s affecting testosterone too.