These forms of therapy are strictly recommended only for cases of hypogonadism, i.e, a pathological decrease in the levels of testosterone, and even so in very limited circumstances. Testosterone is artificially replaced by intramuscular injections or by skin patches (applied to the shaved scrotum). Normal levels are reached very quickly, and an effect of the sexual libido and erectile function may be felt after a few days. Male hormone replacement therapy seems to have other beneficial effects also, particularly in elderly man, such as the patient feeling healthier and more energized with higher mental concentration.

However, testosterone replacement therapy is more dangerous than its female counterpart (the use of estrogen). Its clinical use is warranted only after a certain age, and only when the absence of prostate disorders is ascertained by a thorough prostate examination (including ultrasound, rectal touch, and clinical history) and the measurement of levels of PSA - an antigenic factor present in the blood in abnormal concentrations when prostate cancer is beginning.

back to Impotence index