Mens Health
For Health Professionals
http://www.andrologyaustralia.org/Professionals
For the General Public
What is andrology?
Andrology (an-drol'-uh-jee): The study of the functions and diseases specific to males, especially of the reproductive organs. The equivalent to gynaecology for women.
Andrology Australia (The Australian Centre of Excellence in Male Reproductive Health) was established with funding from the Australian Government and officially launched in 1999 by the Federal Minister of Health and Aged Care, Dr. Michael Wooldridge.
In 2004, a second round of funding was received from the Australian Government to continue the program for another four years. The Centre of Excellence is committed to better educating consumers and health professionals about male reproductive health disorders.
The aim of the Andrology Australia website is to provide on-line access to quality and authenticated information about male reproductive health. This site will provide information to men, their partners and families and health professionals to:
Help people understand what is wrong with them;
Reinforce and complement what the health professionals involved with their care tell them;
Make people aware of the treatment options available;
Make it easier for people to discuss their condition and treatment with their health professional.
The information on this site is intended to be educational in nature, to improve understanding and knowledge of the range, causes and treatment options of male reproductive health disorders. Specialist clinical opinions have been provided by key medical authorities to ensure information is accurate.
By allowing both patients and doctors access to a source of up-to-date and quality information it is hoped to foster a shared approach to prevention and treatment.
Testosterone Replacement Therapy
Are your testicles too small ?
Size DOES matter. However, the fact is that most men worry about the wrong part of the package.
Bigger testicles (V8) or even normal sized testicles (V6) are much better than a 50cc package in relation to fertility. Bigger testes give you the power to go further, longer and stronger, plus you have a much better chance of having children.
Unaware
Most men are unaware of how important the size of their testes is in relation to their health, according to Professor Rob McLachlan, director of Andrology Australia.
"I've seen men coming in with (testicles) the size of a sultana and they haven't realised (it's a problem) - it happens all the time," he says.
It seems men are unaware of what they should be looking for when it comes to testicle size. "They don't know how big their testes should be - what's normal and what's abnormal."
Other Problems
Small testes are often a sign of testosterone deficiency which can make a man lethargic, lose muscle, gain fat, diminish his sex drive and, in the long term, lead to osteoporosis.
Infertility
They also may be a sign of infertility, and men who are infertile have almost double the risk of developing testicular cancer, Professor McLachlan says.
Very small testes are also present in males with the under-diagnosed Klinefelter's Syndrome, a genetic condition that renders men unable to produce sperm and enough of the male hormone testosterone.
Professor McLachlan says these conditions often are not diagnosed because men are reluctant to have genital examinations, which only take "about 30 seconds", and doctors don't perform routine checks.
May Be Fixable
Early detection of low testosterone levels can make a huge impact on a man's wellbeing.
If you want to improve the angle of the dangle, see your Doctor immediatelya nd ask about "Testosterone replacement therapy" - administered by tablets, skin patches, gels, injections or through implants - can restore a man to "full normal male health".
"You want to pick these conditions up in men when they are younger if you can because then you have the chance to intervene and give them 30, 40, 50 years of quality of life and protect them from issues such as thin bones," Professor McLachlan says.
As part of a push to raise awareness of men's reproductive health, Andrology Australia is producing orchidometers - a series of different-sized beads to assist GPs and men's health specialists in identifying reproductive health disorders.
The beads range from 1 millilitre to 35 millilitres. Testicles with a volume of 15 millilitres to 35 millilitres are within the normal range.
Professor McLachlan has seen men with testicles as small as 1 millilitre. "If a man's testicles are the size of a sultana he should see his doctor," he advises.
Men usually only start thinking about their testes if they suspect they may be infertile, he says. "We have to educate them about their reproductive health and make them feel comfortable to say: Is this OK, should I be worried about this?"
He believes examination of the male genitals, in particular the testes, should be included as part of a standard health check.
Detecting problems early may also save couples from months, and sometimes years, of trying to conceive without realising there is a medical issue preventing their doing so.
Infertility affects one in 20 men, and is usually genetic.
In half of all IVF cases, male reproductive complications are either the exclusive problem or a contributing factor.
Professor McLachlan says undescended testicles in babies should be operated on early in life to reduce the risk of cancer and improve fertility outcomes. He believes all children should be vaccinated against the mumps, which can cause infertility in boys.
Damage to testicles also can occur through sexually transmitted diseases (such as chlamydia, which can cause infertility), injury (often through sport), anabolic steroid abuse, and lifestyle factors such as smoking, obesity and alcohol abuse
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