TESTY ISSUE OF TESTOSTERONE

IRISH men are not too keen on discussing their libido, with a third admitting they find it difficult. That’s according to a new survey, conducted by the pharmaceutical company Besins Healthcare, in relation to testosterone deficiency (TD), a condition that affects 8% of men between the ages of 50 and 79.

Symptoms include low libido, depression , fatigue, hot flushes and erectile dysfunction, but 50% of Irish men don’t even know it is a medical condition.

The survey found that only 45% of men regularly discuss their physical health and mental wellbeing with their partners, with more than a third saying they were more comfortable discussing difficult financial matters than sensitive health issues.

The incidence of TD is higher among men who have other health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and asthma. As many as 40% of men with type 2 diabetes, for example, have low or borderline low levels of testosterone.

With other symptoms of TD including hot flushes and sweating, it is sometimes considered by men to be simply part of the natural ageing process.

However, Professor Thomas Lynch, a consultant urologist at St. James’s Hospital and Trinity College, Dublin, advises: ‘There are times when testosterone levels are lower than they should be and if these are reversed this can significantly improve quality of life so it is important for men to speak to their GPs about it.’

Another recent survey showed that 82% of GPs across Ireland felt that the condition was underdiagnosed. For more information on TD, visit whatistds.ie.