Low Testosterone Levels And Impact On Sexual Relationships

Testosterone levels tend to fluctuate with advancing age and physiological changes in the lifestyle, diet and metabolism. But in most cases, the fluctuations are mild and unnoticeable. However, if Testosterone levels dips significantly, it may begin to impact the physical, sexual and emotional quality of life. For example, according to a new study, the most prominent symptom of persistently low testosterone levels is poor sex drive and declining libido. It would not be wrong to say that persistently low and poorly managed testosterone levels can significantly affect the quality of sexual relationships.

In simple words, no matter how much a man loves his partner, he just cannot have sex with her due to varying degree of sexual dysfunction. It doesn’t mean that he is no longer attracted to her.

How Low Testosterone Levels Affect The Quality Of Sexual Relationships?

Low testosterone levels can damage the quality of sexual relationships because it may give the impression that the male partner is not interested in his female partner or he doesn’t want her anymore. Lack of intimacy can also lead to conflicts, emotional detachment and nothing can be worse than the feeling of not being desired.

It has also been observed that most males are reluctant to share the actual reason of sexual disconnect with their partner due to embarrassment and this lack of communication can further create misunderstandings. For example, the sexual partner may feel confused and may even start searching for love outside of the current relationship. To reduce mess and conflicts, it is extremely important to discuss all the conflicts honestly with your partner. Here are some tips that may help:

• Discussion:

Discussing your problems with your partner may not necessarily improve your symptoms but it can definitely save your relationship. Research indicates that sexual performance of males improves when they are more relaxed and comfortable around their partner.

• Fix it together:

When visiting a therapist or doctor, take your partner along. Active understanding, support and cooperation of your partner can make your treatment easier, also it will clear all the misunderstandings because your partner will get to know that this is a real medical problem and not some excuse to avoid sexual intimacy.

• Explore the non-sexual facet in the relation:

If you are having trouble in making love, try to show your affection in non-sexual manner. This doesn’t mean that you should completely neglect the sexual intimacy but, focusing on non-sexual facets can often prove helpful in coping up with the symptoms of sexual dysfunction.

Treatment

Low and poorly managed testosterone levels can have a huge negative impact on the erectile functions because this sex hormone is necessary for achieving and sustaining optimal erection till the climax. When testosterone levels go down, overall physical and emotional energy levels decline too. No interest in sex, tiredness, anxiety and depression, all together makes sexual intimacy even more difficult. Therefore, sometimes along with testosterone replacement therapy, medicines to treat erectile dysfunction are also needed in some men. Lastly, open discussion with your partner and appropriate treatment also proves helpful in coping with the symptoms of low testosterone.

References

• Hackett, G., Cole, N., Bhartia, M., Kennedy, D., Raju, J., & Wilkinson, P. (2013). Testosterone replacement therapy with long‐acting testosterone undecanoate improves sexual function and quality‐of‐life parameters vs. placebo in a population of men with type 2 diabetes. The journal of sexual medicine, 10(6), 1612-1627.
• Aydogan, U., Aydogdu, A., Akbulut, H., Sonmez, A., Yuksel, S., Basaran, Y., ... & Saglam, K. (2012). Increased frequency of anxiety, depression, quality of life and sexual life in young hypogonadotropic hypogonadal males and impacts of testosterone replacement therapy on these conditions. Endocrine journal, 59(12), 1099-1105.
• Isidori, A. M., Buvat, J., Corona, G., Goldstein, I., Jannini, E. A., Lenzi, A., ... & Maggi, M. (2014). A critical analysis of the role of testosterone in erectile function: from pathophysiology to treatment—a systematic review. European urology, 65(1), 99-112.