Sexual maturity is very important to any society. Thanks to this life phenomenon, humans can continue to exist. The body has got a system which is responsible for controlling sexual maturity. This is the endocrine system. The endocrine system produces biological chemical substances which are responsible for controlling both male and female sexual characteristics. In the case of females, the oestrogens are responsible for controlling the primary and secondary sexual traits. As for the males, Testosterone Therapy is at the centre of controlling both secondary and primary sexual characteristics. Some of the traits that are triggered and controlled by testosterone are masculinity and body mass, sperm production, libido, wet dreams and formation of pubic hair. Without the hormone, all these traits would never come to pass. When a male reaches the age of 30 and above, one’s testosterone will begin to decrease at a steady rate of 1%. The decrease rate continues to increase with age until the man has very low testosterone levels. Men also reach menopause. However, the male form of menopause is referred to as andropause. When men reach andropause, their testosterone levels are too low for them to even reproduce. This is also accompanied by a steady decrease in the body’s energy levels, masculinity and bone density. There is also a decrease in the distribution of fats within the body and the rate of formation of red blood cells also decreases.

The symptoms that are associated with andropause are numerous. Most of them are closely related to those which characterise a male who has low testosterone. However, they are more serious and more pronounced. Most men who have reached andropause will show signs of social withdrawal. It is a very common trait that is associated with all men whose testosterone levels have critically gone lower than the appropriate levels. In most cases, this trait is also accompanied by a loss of interest in the issues. Some men often find it very hard to even socialise or greet the people around. In the worst cases, men undergoing andropause will show signs of excessive anger. All humans get angry when provoked. But, men who have reached andropause often express exaggerated levels of anger. As a matter of fact, they usually find it very hard to control their anger.

Apart from anger and the loss of interest in life issues, andropause is also associated with severe anxiety. Most men begin to show signs of anxiety which appears to be exaggerated. All humans experience anxiety at one time or another depending on the situations around them. However, men who have reached andropause tend to experience severe anxiety even when the situations at their disposal are fairly easy to handle or manage. The anxiety is also accompanied by depression. In most cases, the anxiety and depression overlap and become expressed as a single symptom. Actually, the two often express themselves together. When most men are anxious, they usually show signs of depression and a feeling worthlessness. They tend to feel like life is not worth living and neither are worth anything in life. Feelings of this nature continue for as long as the levels of the male sex hormone are very low.

Other symptoms which characterise men who have reached andropause are gyenecomatia, erectile dysfunction and irritability. A man who has very low levels of the male sex hormone is likely to have breast tissues. This is medically referred to as gynecomatia. Formation of breast tissues is due to the presence of very high levels of the female sex hormone oestrogen. The female sex hormone is present in males, but only in very low amounts. If its levels become exceedingly high, it can cause gynecomastia. This condition is often accompanied by pain in the breasts. Erectile dysfunction sets in as soon as the levels of the male sex hormone have decreased drastically. The male involved will find it very hard to sustain an erection for a very long time. In the worst of case, some men even fail to achieve erection altogether. Erectile dysfunction is commonly referred to as impotence.

There are many other symptoms which associated with andropause that have not yet been indicated. For example, men whose sex hormone has gone below critical levels will also show signs of loss weight and a decrease in the sex drive or libido. Most men are not even able to experience spontaneous erections at all, while others may experience an erection for a short period of time only. In the worst cases, sex drive may cease completely. Most men also show signs of loss weight due to a decrease in the muscle mass and bone density. These symptoms will surface as soon as the levels of the male sex hormone fall below the critical level.

The major causes of andropause are well documented. They range from external to internal factors. A good number of external factors are responsible for causing a marked decrease in the levels of the male sex hormone. One of the most notable external factors which are responsible for causing a decrease in the levels of the male sex hormone is disease. When disease affects the organs of the body that are responsible for the production of male sex hormone, andropause may result. In general, the condition is supposed to set in at an age that is beyond 75 years. But, it may set in at an earlier age depending on how severe the disease which has affected the organs responsible for the production of the male sex hormone is. Another common external cause is excessive alcohol consumption which has been responsible for many cases of andropause which have been reported in men. Sometimes physical injury and trauma can also cause andropause if the organ which has been affected is the one responsible for making the male sex hormone. There are also internal causes which can cause andropause. A good example of an internal cause of the condition is hypogonadism. This is a condition which affects the testicles and the pituitary gland which are in direct control of the production of Testosterone Replacement Therapy.