How Does Testosterone Affects Erections?

Low Testosterone (Low T) or hypogonadism (as it is medically referred) can be a contributing factor to your erection issues.

Low T can have a significant effect on your health (beyond your erections, in men, low T is linked notably to inflammation, weight gain, and cardiovascular issues) but it also may be an indicator of other underlying health issues.

Thus if your doctor suspects that you are suffering from hypogonadism then this would need to be addressed.

How Is Low T Diagnosed?

Total T is all the testosterone you’ve got floating around in your blood. It has three components:

• Tightly bound testosterone. About two-thirds of the testosterone in your blood is bound to sex-hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). Your body can’t use it.

• Loosely bound testosterone. About a third of the testosterone in your blood is bound to albumin. Your body can use it, with some effort.

• Free testosterone. A small percentage of the testosterone in your blood (1–4%, as a rule) just floats around freely. Your body can readily use it.

Together, your loosely bound T and free T compose your bioavailable T, which has a greater impact on your health than your total T. For that reason, SHBG is often tested at the same time as total T (the higher your SHBG, the lower your bioavailable T).

The problem with diagnosing low testostorone is that the normal levels may greatly differ from man to man and even worse different medical labs might also have different levels that they consider normal!

Beyond some very clear pathologies that cause low testosterone levels (associated with testicular failure or issues with your hormonal glands in your brain) it has been observed that as men age there is decline in their testosterone levels. Men start experiencing a yearly drop in total T (1–2%) and bioavailable T (2–3%) in their 30s. But is this drop caused entirely by the aging process itself? Or could it also be due to men exercising a lot less and eating a lot worse as they near middle age?

Same as with muscle mass, nobody really knows what a “natural” decline in testosterone looks like in the human species. So in order to diagnose low T a simple blood test of your T levels is not adequate and your doctor would need to triangulate the diagnosis.

Testosterone Replacement Therapy

Assuming that your doctor makes a diagnosis of low T then beyond treating the underlying health issues (if these are apparent) and lifestyle counselling, you might also be recommended to commence Testosterone Replacement Therapy, which is a fancy way to say that you need to top up your testosterone levels through medication.

Several testosterone delivery methods exist:

· Injection. Testosterone injections are safe and effective. Injections are given in a muscle. Your symptoms might fluctuate between doses depending on the frequency of injections.

· Patch. A patch containing testosterone is applied each night to your back, abdomen, upper arm or thigh. The site of the application is rotated to maintain seven-day intervals between applications to the same site, to lessen skin reactions.

· Gel. There are several gel preparations available with different ways of applying them. Gel application of testosterone replacement therapy appears to cause fewer skin reactions than patches do. A potential side effect of the gel is the possibility of transferring the medication to another person and as such patients should avoid skin-to-skin contact until the gel is completely dry or cover the area after an application.

· Gum and cheek (buccal cavity). A small putty-like substance, gum and cheek testosterone replacement delivers testosterone through the natural depression above your top teeth where your gum meets your upper lip (buccal cavity). This product quickly sticks to your gumline and allows the medication to be absorbed into your bloodstream.

· Implantable pellets. Testosterone-containing pellets (Testopel) are surgically implanted under the skin and need to be replaced every three to six months

Choosing a specific therapy will depend on your preference for a particular delivery system, the side effects and the cost as well as your doctor’s advise.