Low Sex Drive at Male Peak

Read Dr. Elena Krasnov's Weekly Column in the Health & Fitness section of the 24 Hours Magazine. Look for new articles every week!

Monday, June 29, 2009

Low Sex Drive at Male Peak

Q: Dear Elena: This is kind of embarrassing for me because I have never admitted this to anyone, but I have never had a sex drive. I am 25-year-old male and I have never had a sexual desire. Is there something I can take that will help me with this?

A: If you have been having problems since onset of puberty you must have your hormones checked thoroughly by your doctor before you do anything else. There are a number of hormones that need to be checked and any one of them may contribute to your symptoms.

To determine whether or not you are experiencing a deficiency and what may be causing it, your doctor can measure the amount of testosterone in your blood with blood tests. In addition to measuring testosterone levels, doctors sometimes measure prolactin levels to make sure your pituitary gland is functioning properly. Further blood tests, such as serum FSH, LH and thyroid tests, may also be necessary. High prolactin levels can cause lack of sex drive in men.

A little-known condition called androgen deficiency occurs when bodily tissues do not have enough exposure to androgens, or testosterone, to function normally. There is hope with Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT), lower-than-normal testosterone levels can be regulated and modified.

Psychological factors cannot be ignored either. Stress or depression have a profound effect on both mood and sex drive. Use of alcohol or other drugs may impair your sex drive as well as cause erectile dysfunction.

After you have all your hormones checked and if they are within normal levels, you can try taking some herbs to boost your sex drive. Herb such as Maca is frequently used by men with some effect.

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Dr. Elena Krasnov is a registered Naturopathic Doctor and Clinic Director of the Toronto Naturopathic Clinic. Submit your questions online at 24hrs.ca