Gay male testosterone drop

Millions of men experience a potentially harmful drop in their testosterone levels as they get older, but for many gay men it may not be a matter of middle age. Sometimes called andropause, the loss of testosterone can cause memory loss, depression, and decreased sex drive, and it usually affects men age 50 or older.

But gay men may start experiencing it as early as age 35, according to Abraham Kryger, a California-based physician and author of Listen to Your Hormones: A Doctor's Guide to Sex, Love, and Long Life. "Gay and bisexual men have higher levels of free testosterone in their bodies, which easily converts to dihydrotestosterone, a hormone that is associated with the male aging process," Kryger said of the phenomenon. There are a number of effective treatments, and he added that limiting nicotine and alcohol consumption could help ward off the problem.

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