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Measuring Men's Testosterone Levels

Have you had your testosterone checked lately?

Testosterone levels naturally decline as a man gets older.  As a result, he might feel run down, depressed, or irritable.  He might also lose some of his enthusiasm for sex. 

When a man has these symptoms, his doctor might order a testosterone test.  In our latest blog postwe answer some common questions about testosterone testing, including:

  • What is testosterone?
  • How is testosterone classified ("bound" and "free")? 
  • Why might a doctor order a testosterone test?
  • What is the test like?
  • What do the results mean?

​Click here to learn more about the testosterone test.  And if you think you might have low testosterone, be sure to see your doctor for a complete checkup. 

Scientists Grow New Vaginas in the Lab

Girls born with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome - the absence of a fully-developed vagina - might have a new treatment option in the future.

Scientists have developed a method for growing a new vagina from a girl's own genital tissue. 

Cells are cultured and allowed to grow for five to six weeks. Then, scientists attach the cells to a vagina-shaped scaffold that has been custom-made for the girl's body. Next, the scaffolds are surgically implanted. Over time, the scaffolds mesh with natural tissue.

A study published earlier this spring in The Lancet reported on four girls (now young women) who underwent this treatment. After an average follow-up time of eight years, the new vaginas were functioning well. The women's scores on sexual health assessments were in the normal range and the women had no pain with intercourse.

More research is needed, but the scientists were encouraged by their results. Please click here for more details.

Did You Know?

Women's orgasms might depend on the size and location of the clitoris. Find out why.

Female mice become less interested in sex when they're in pain. But pain doesn't seem to affect the libidos of male mice. What might this mean for humans?

Drug Could Restore Erections for Some Prostate Cancer Patients

The drug sildenafil citrate could improve the sexual function of men who undergo radiotherapy for prostate cancer.

Radiotherapy, also called radiation therapy, often causes erectile dysfunction (ED) because it can damage blood vessels in the penis.

Researchers conducted a study involving 279 men with localized prostate cancer. (Their cancer had not spread.)

Then men were divided into two groups. One group took sildenafil citrate every day and the other took a placebo.  

The trial began just before the men started radiotherapy and continued for the next six months.

After 12 and 24 months, the men who took sildenafil citrate had better erectile function than those who took the placebo. 

The study was published online in March by The Journal of Urology as an accepted manuscript. Please click here to learn more.

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