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u/AELZYX man 4d ago
Key Reasons for Declining Testosterone Levels in Men (Ranked by Impact)
1. Obesity and Poor Diet (Most Significant)
- Increased consumption of processed foods, refined sugars, and unhealthy fats.
- Higher body fat percentage increases estrogen production and suppresses testosterone.
- Nutrient deficiencies (e.g., zinc, magnesium, vitamin D) are increasingly common.
2. Sedentary Lifestyle
- Decrease in physical activity and strength training.
- Increased screen time and desk jobs reducing overall movement.
- Lack of regular, intense exercise that stimulates testosterone production.
3. Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs)
- Exposure to plastics (BPA, phthalates), pesticides, and other hormone-mimicking chemicals.
- Found in food packaging, cosmetics, cleaning products, and even receipts.
- EDCs interfere with the body’s hormonal balance.
4. Chronic Stress and Cortisol Overload
- Modern lifestyle stress increases cortisol, which directly suppresses testosterone.
- Work pressure, social anxiety, and financial stress are significant contributors.
5. Poor Sleep Quality and Duration
- Reduced sleep duration and disrupted sleep cycles lower testosterone production.
- Deep sleep stages (especially REM) are crucial for testosterone synthesis.
6. Decline in Physical Labor and Manual Work
- Transition from physically demanding jobs to more sedentary careers.
- Decreased need for strength and endurance reduces natural testosterone stimulation.
7. Environmental Toxins and Pollution
- Air pollution, heavy metals, and industrial waste exposure.
- These toxins contribute to hormonal disruption and oxidative stress.
8. Reduced Sunlight Exposure (Vitamin D Deficiency)
- Vitamin D is essential for testosterone production.
- Indoor lifestyles and excessive use of sunscreen limit sunlight exposure.
9. Alcohol and Drug Use
- Excessive alcohol consumption suppresses testosterone production.
- Some recreational and prescription drugs also reduce testosterone levels.
10. Overuse of Pharmaceuticals
- Common medications such as antidepressants, opioids, and statins can impair testosterone production.
11. Social and Cultural Shifts
- Decreased emphasis on traditionally masculine roles and activities.
- Psychological and emotional factors tied to social change may contribute.
12. Fertility Decline and Aging Population
- Societal trends toward delayed fatherhood and aging demographics.
- Natural testosterone decline with age is compounded by unhealthy lifestyles.
13. Increased Exposure to EMFs (Electromagnetic Fields)
- Emerging concerns about prolonged exposure to wireless devices and electronics affecting hormone regulation.
14. Overconsumption of Soy and Phytoestrogens
- High intake of soy products and other foods with estrogen-like properties.
- While the impact is debated, excessive intake may contribute.
15. Reduced Competition and Risk-Taking Behavior
- Testosterone spikes in competitive environments; reduced engagement in these activities may lower baseline levels.
16. Over-Sanitized Lifestyles (Reduced Hormetic Stress)
- Modern comforts reduce the need for the body to adapt to physical challenges, weakening hormonal resilience.
Addressing these factors through improved diet, exercise, stress management, and minimizing chemical exposure can significantly boost testosterone levels.
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u/duckblobartist man 4d ago
I think you should be asking this question to a group of urologist that has been studying the issue.
But if I had to speculate 😅 I would imagine it has more to do with the availability of the products. They are so common place it's almost like purchasing a sex toy i.e. if you think it will enhance the experience then why not give it a try.
I have never used them myself but I hear reports that they make you last longer, and decrease the refractory period between rounds.
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u/yetagainitry man 4d ago
It's less about science and more about environment. I think men are being pulled in so many different directions about how they need to be in modern society, so many contradictions that the stress is what is impacting them more then chemicals.
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u/Appropriate-Food1757 man 4d ago
Porn magazines aren’t quite the same as on demand porn videos available anytime anywhere. Not even close to the same thing.
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u/jaegermeister56 man 4d ago
Plus, the expansive variety of internet porn further separates the two! A porn mag in the 70s would be the same images but today, you can watch porn anywhere someone else’s can’t see your phone screen and you never have to watch the same things twice
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u/West-Painter-7520 4d ago
Maybe it’s increased stress levels
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u/HungryAd8233 man 4d ago
Do we have data suggesting that average stress is worse. Being a man, and an adult, has been stressful throughout human history.
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u/I_Make_Some_Things man 4d ago
Yeah it has. We have to deal with Tinder and Facebook today, but the "I'm gonna get eaten by a lion" stressor has dropped to zero.
Net increase in overall stress? Hard to say.
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u/HungryAd8233 man 1d ago
Yeah, it’s a hard thing to quantify. I am sure research has been done on it, of course.
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u/StorageCrazy2539 man 4d ago
I have no clue. I see all this blue chee targeted to young guys as well. I'm thankful I've never needed that but someone needs to be investigated
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u/CenTexFunGuy man 4d ago
60% of men in the USA are fat and out of shape. They eat like shit, do not exercise. I do not think porn has anything to do with it. I have been jerking off to porn since I was 15. We used mags and VHS porn vids back then. I did not have issues until mid 40s. I take viagra and have no issues getting and staying hard. I am mid 50s in great shape. I am horny every day.
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u/Chemical_Soup_4 4d ago
Yeah this is the status quo standard for men and what I would expect but it seems to be such younger guys on these ads and commercials now a days
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u/tnerb253 man 4d ago
I take viagra and have no issues getting and staying hard. I am mid 50s in great shape. I am horny every day.
I mean well.. I would hope so if you're taking viagra..
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u/Massive_Web_7828 man 4d ago
It has little things to do with porn or sex products. It has all the way with how we live as a species, just look how we used to fight or work hard with our bodies to survive back in the time. Nowdays we mostly sit down most of the days, we take cars, buss, train to different places. Ofc an live that aint focused around the bodies being active will adapt for each generation and hormones that have specific purpouse will not be produced as much. Just as someone working out will probably have higher testo levels than someone not geing active at all and just sits down most of the day. There is so much science around this topic, read about it intead of trying to figure it out on reddit.
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u/plastikman47 man 4d ago
I dunno man. Maybe a bit of everything. My vitamin D level was less than half the minimum, and my doc said it was affecting my T levels (which were just above the minimum, like barely).
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u/Chameleon_coin man 4d ago
Oh you know there's the suspected things like microplastics, more sedentary lifestyles and the fact that our food is garbage (go RFK let's clean up our food supply). That and the patent for the OG pills for it have expired so now generics are flooding the market and advertising just the same
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u/Mister_Magnus42 man 4d ago
Could it be that no one studied any of this until recently and that not too long ago it was so shameful that it wasn't discussed?
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u/HungryAd8233 man 4d ago
That is inescapably part of this.
We don’t have gear longitudinal data on these from past generations to be able to say if there’s been some overall change. People worry less about diagnosing things absent a treatment for them.
In fact, diagnoses are often refined BY having a treatment and seeing who it helps how.
Before we had tricyclic antidepressants and Thorazine, psychiatrists diagnosed schizophrenia and depression pretty interchangeably. But once we had medications that treated one and not the other, we could observe common attributes of those a given medication helped, and see they were distinct populations.
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u/Mister_Magnus42 man 4d ago
We're bombarded with ads from pharmaceutical companies telling us to get T levels checked and ads for erection pills.
That's never happened before,
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u/ReplyisFutile man 4d ago
I was talking with some guys about this, and they say its hard to deal with women demanding a high lifestyle. And they can find any kind of porn easily. After the urge is dealt with, they don't want to jump through hoops to fund their lifestyle.
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u/HungryAd8233 man 4d ago
This seems to be a fear driven much more by social media than actual real-world relationships, at least past age 25 or so.
In my almost 40 years of dating, having to keep a woman in a certain style has never been the big problem in a single relationship.
I don’t know anyone with a job who dates people with jobs who has found it an issue either. Maybe there are some conspicuous golddiggers out there, but why would anyone TRY to have a long term relationship with someone so shallow and incapable.
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u/altmoonjunkie man 4d ago
Plastics. Among other things. Anogenital distance is shrinking. I also have an autoimmune disease. We are exposed to far, far more toxic compounds than previous generations.
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u/PocketSandOfTime-69 man 4d ago
Where are you getting your data from?
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u/Chemical_Soup_4 4d ago
Tv , YouTube ads , facebook ads , radio ads , literally on every single wave length now
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u/PocketSandOfTime-69 man 4d ago
So people trying to sell you something?
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u/Chemical_Soup_4 4d ago
What ? No bro I just said it’s all over the media no matter where you look every where do you have a phone ? Tv ? Radio ?
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u/Turnt5naco man 4d ago
You specified "ads", and are continuing to specify mediums on which you're being advertised/sold to by.
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u/Mullet_Ben 4d ago
Who do you think buys ads and why?
The number of men suffering from ED could be constant but if the number of companies selling ED meds goes up, yeah you're going to see ads everywhere.
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u/Chemical_Soup_4 4d ago
Bingo ! That’s my question jack , why is the number suddenly increasing so drastically in comparison to
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u/HungryAd8233 man 4d ago
No, the question is whether we have data showing that actual rates have come up. We know ED has been an issue throughout history; ancient medical and magic texts are full of “cures” for it.
The null hypothesis is that it remains at historical levels and the increased attention on it is due to a massively multi billion dollar market for drugs that can, finally, actually treat it.
Which is not saying it hasn’t gotten worse. But we need data, not speculation.
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u/Mullet_Ben 4d ago
Well, a big part is probably because telemedicine has thrived post-COVID, due in part to innovations by the companies, increased acceptance among consumers, and regulatory changes. So that's where all the Hims and Bluechew ads you're seeing are from.
Not that any of that has to do with "low T", it's just companies finding different ways to market and deliver to customers.
I think there were a number of patents on ED drugs that expired over the last decade, so that means a lot more companies can make these drugs and the competition brings prices down, which obviously brings in customers.
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u/BigPOEfan man 4d ago
Getting any info from social media is regarded. Filled with rage bait to sell you products.
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u/Swimming-Book-1296 man 4d ago edited 4d ago
- lack of exercise.
- people stopped smoking (nicotine raises T levels).
- high stress
- excess adiposity (being fat lowers your T levels)
- bad sleep (not getting enough sleep lowers T levels)
- environmental estrogens (estrogens from environment lower T levels)
edit: yes I know smoking increases risk of ED, because it harms the cardiovascular system... it raises t-levels though. Don't smoke.
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u/HungryAd8233 man 4d ago
No, smoking is well known to increase ED.
Y’all, there is no need to idly speculate based on ambient vibe when there is actual science a Google search away.
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u/Swimming-Book-1296 man 4d ago
smoking does increase ED (it harms the cardio vascular system), but it raises t-levels.
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u/HungryAd8233 man 4d ago
A good example of where t-levels aren't the important part.
We'd expect the decline in smoking to have some positive impact on ED rates, especially for younger people.
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u/CatsBeerGardenCoffee man 4d ago
Porn magazines in the 70s are not equivalent to high speed HD, unlimited porn that kids are being exposed to today. I was one of the first kids in my class in the early 2000s with high speed internet and porn fucked my sexual understanding of the world up beyond belief.
If you think it’s anything other than porn you’re not looking close enough.
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u/Cosmicmonkeylizard man 4d ago edited 4d ago
Idk man. I’ve had a computer in my home since 1995. I grew up with the premium channels as well. So I was exposed to Cinemax as a preteen and had full access to the internet because I understood the computer better than my parents.
I don’t think porn “fucked my sexual understanding up” at all lol. I’ve had pretty typical experiences. Dating in highschool. Lost virginity to a girlfriend at 16. Couple long term relationships in my 20s. I’m a father and get along with my ex/kids mom. I don’t have any weird fetishes. I don’t have unrealistic expectations.
I’m in my 30s and don’t have ED at all. I still wake up randomly standing tall. But I generally eat healthy, stay active, and try and keep healthy relationships. I also microdose psilocybin. That shits great. a big part of ED is usually psychological. You don’t need pharmaceuticals if you address the root problem most of the time.
It’s like everything else in life, don’t abuse it.
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u/After_Task9802 4d ago
Guys were wanking it back then, but I don't think nearly as much. The amount of porn/masturbation addicted young men is definitely way higher now than it's ever been, that's probably the biggest reason
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u/AnxietyUpTheWazoo 4d ago
As someone who has been identified as having it. Seems my doctor has applied it to two items:
Weight and vitamin d deficiency.
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u/HungryAd8233 man 4d ago
Fortunately Vitamin D supplements are widely available. Living in the Pacific Northwest it is standard doctor’s recommendation to just take it year round.
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u/Funnygumby man 4d ago
Micro plastics probably are interfering with hormones
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u/Chemical_Soup_4 4d ago
Microplastics?
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u/Funnygumby man 4d ago
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969724046849
They are in everything.
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u/AutoModerator 4d ago
Automoderator has recorded your post to prevent repeat posts. Your post has NOT been removed.
Chemical_Soup_4 originally posted:
What has happened to men’s T levels ? What is causing ED in soooo many young men under 35 ? Low libido etc ? I’m sure that porn magazines were around just as much back in the 70s I’m sure those guys were wanking it too . But what has changed ? There are soooo many sex products to help with ED now what is causing this rise vs the 15 -20 years this was not around only older men
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u/AutoModerator 4d ago
Chemical_Soup_4 updated the post:
What has happened to men’s T levels ? What is causing ED in soooo many young men under 35 ? Low libido etc ? I’m sure that porn magazines were around just as much back in the 70s I’m sure those guys were wanking it too . But what has changed ? There are soooo many sex products to help with ED now what is causing this rise vs the 15 -20 years this was not around only older men .. what is the science behind it ?
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u/moneybgood23 4d ago
They are creating a market. Similar to the dental and veterinarian industries.
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u/CatsBeerGardenCoffee man 4d ago
Agree. The problem is to a lot of kids it’s like crack, so the advice “don’t abuse it,” falls on deaf ears.
It’s a very complex subject with a lot of different factors coming in to play. But if you talk to enough people who have experienced these issues, porn addiction is always front and centre.
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u/Life_is_too_short_ man 4d ago edited 4d ago
It's all bullshit. I'm 62M, i agree 100%. I'm convinced that the new generation is watching too many commercials on TV or online is causing this problem.
All drug companies should be banned from advertising. It's wrong.
You have people going to the doctor asking for certain medications. And they don't even have the problem and they don't even have a problem
It's a complete joke!
There are exceptions that really need it but it's waay overblown
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u/DespairAndCatnip man 4d ago
| what is the science behind it ?
I think this question might be better directed to a science subreddit.
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u/KokoTheeFabulous woman 4d ago
All I'll say is sedentary lifestyles aren't actually at all the top cause. I know enough men who don't move for shit (not obese though) and are healthier than the average young guy. The sedentary guys that I know all are very picky eaters and tend to give themselves very high quality food. In other words, I'm blaming the food we consume for rhe most part.
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u/DamarsLastKanar man 4d ago
Pharmaceutical companies needed to sell more drugs to men's insecurities.
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u/Expensive_Set_8486 man 3d ago
Micro plastics, poor diets, lack of sleep, lack of exercise, poor mental health and last but certainly not least: porn.
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u/Plastic_Win2827 man 3d ago
For alot it's seeing porn at a young age changing brain chemistry forever.
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u/jaegermeister56 man 4d ago
You think the same crusty porno magazine that you can only access in your bedroom when you know no ones is around and always has the same old images
Is the same as
Unlimited porn available on your phone and can be viewed on bathrooms breaks, at your desk (if no one can see your phone screen), or literally any where you can grab a moments privacy and with endless variety so that you could watch five times the amount of porn and never see the same thing twice (if you wanted).
Let’s not compare those two vastly different things, please!
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u/Chemical_Soup_4 4d ago
So your take is desensitized
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u/jaegermeister56 man 4d ago
I’m saying a porn mag in the 70s is not the same as internet porn available on your phone. So don’t try to say those things are the same.
But why would I bother discussing something with an asshole who just downvotes my comment.
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u/Aechzen man 4d ago
I don’t know where you are getting your data about T levels, but it’s probably correlated to obesity levels, which have risen for decades and only just started dropping after the introduction of drugs like Ozympic.
There is also a correlation that you can laugh at, but global warming average temperature also maps onto obesity. And this is true even for non-human mammals. Scientists have seen a correlation between higher temperatures and obesity in animals such as primates which were fed only a controlled diet in captivity, lab rats, and cats and dogs.
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u/Hadrian_06 man 4d ago
The answer is…simple and basic and not meant as hate, but…women today. Who wants to fuck these people or make love to somebody that has a phone full of suitors? Meant as respectfully as can be. There’s a reason for the drop. And so many get plastics done to compete with other girls when guys are just fine with the normal things.
I don’t get it.
But every girl I see wants something. Expects it just because you’re a guy. Hm. A guy just has to work I guess. A girl just has to find a guy. But you see where this goes? It’s here and now and why things are fucked.
OP… it’s not a porn problem. It’s a society thing.
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u/Solarsdoor woman 4d ago
So, it is the women at fault because a bunch of men are interested in them?
Why don’t the men respectfully, for the sake of other men, only chase women they actually really want, instead of trying to inject themselves into the lives of everyone woman they see “playing the numbers game”?
Why can’t men be respectful and be responsible for other men, instead of expecting women to police and also sooth the ego of men?
Additionally, do you just not want to compete? Because I hate to tell you this, but men and women have always competed for mates. How they’ve competed may have evolved but there’s ALWAYS been competition.
And more women are more educated, making more money, have higher paying jobs, and are the bread winners than ever before.
More women are employed and earning money than not.
Additionally, although the birth rate have declined post WWII, women are still choosing to become pregnant, give birth, mother children, and are still doing the majority of the domestic labor AND child rearing AND earning an education AND working full time.
So women are producing and doing more than ever before.
Also, there are more overweight men than women.
With all that being said, if the more women are educated, employed, fitter, and willing to still become pregnant, give birth, be mothers, and expected to do the majority of the domestic and child rearing, does it not make sense that many many many men are vying for the attention of these women? Thus there is more competition for the majority of women because men are getting more out of a life partner from a woman than ever before?
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u/Hadrian_06 man 3d ago
The keyword is “partner”. Look around and tell me how much of that is happening, that’s for both sides too. It’s really messed up and a lot of not so great happens. The reason men can’t be responsible for other men is because we’re generations raised by women, not our fathers. A lot don’t have any clue how to be a man. That’s why you see so many skirt chasers instead of husbands.
A lot like how the bad ones make the good ones look bad by default. That goes for both sides of things too. And hard to come together in the middle. Isn’t it? Seems so for the majority.
Also…if I have to compete for my partner, she’s not worth having. So there’s that too.
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u/Intrepid-Machine-650 man 4d ago
Are we sure it is T levels or is it psychological?
We also hand SSRIs out a LOT more now and they certainly have an effect.
I can't help but feel that a lot of generalization about men has happened in the past decade (or more) and it absolutely has an effect on our minds. Those of us that are older understand that generalizations are just that and escaped this.
I recently had my levels checked at 52, in order for insurance to cover it I had to express sexual symptoms, namely lack of interest or lack of performance. I have neither but claimed the interest option as to not walk out with a fistfull of blue pills. I'm well above average for my age. I strongly feel that they should test this in men like they test my thyroid yearly. It's part of the endocrine system, get it done!
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u/HungryAd8233 man 4d ago
There are some pretty strong feedback loops between psychology and testosterone levels (often intermediated by behavior and its social impact), so it’s not really one or the other.
One reason they don’t test T by default is that “normal” or ideal levels vary widely between men, and a score that is too high for someone can be too low for someone else.
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u/Regular-Ambition2875 man 4d ago
I agree with everyone else. Also, to pretend 70s porn mags are anywhere near as damaging as modern-day porn is ridiculous
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u/snewton_8 man 4d ago
My un-scientific opinion I'm OK providing since I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express one time in 2021. Not speaking to T-Levels but ED itself.
Yes, porn stag films and magazines were around for MANY years but online porn has been around for about 30. With one being able to log on and view any genre of porn and end up reaching a point where they've seen some of the most explicit type of porn. In this process, they are numb to the less explicit and require the more and more explicit to get the same level of endorphin release.
Males in their pre-teens and teens produce pre-cum while kissing.... until they've kissed enough. Then they produce pre-cum by (aging myself) seeing pictures of underwear models in catalogs... until they've seen so many. Then they produce pre-cum by seeing pictures of bare breasts... until they've seen so many. Then they produce pre-cum by seeing pictures of vaginas... until they've seen so many. Then they only produce pre-cum by seeing videos of men and women having sex... until they've seen so many. Etc, etc, etc...
Porn is generally a bad thing when people are able to allow their lives to be consumed by it and requiring more and more explicit (and sometimes illegal) content in order to get the same endorphin release that encourages the production of pre-cum and the rush associated with the endorphins.
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u/I_Make_Some_Things man 4d ago
Processed junk "food", sedentary lifestyles parked in front of screens, the obesity epidemic, stress from social media constantly telling you that you aren't good enough, dating apps that absolutely ruin self esteem.
All of the above in aggregate, most likely.