Unpacking the hormone as a fountain of youth.
Traditional masculinity idealizes the strength of man—muscle and sexual performance glorified as coming of age while mother nature endows these attributes as male growth and development. The He Hormone, as Andrew Sullivan writes, "profoundly affects physique, behavior, mood and self-understanding." The latter is historically induced by culture. The vibrations are ever more present today. Yet, our understanding of male sexuality—through May-December tropes and the notion of men’s ability to have children decades longer than women—has us asking if Testosterone is the secret sauce.
Historically, the genesis of Virilitas—a word used in Ancient Rome to express masculinity—portrays a figure apt for mating, both corporally and psychologically proper. English vocabulary defines virility "as the power of procreation," contextualizing the quality of manliness to sexual potency. Ultimately, virile represents the conditions that qualify a man: his strength, bravery of spirit, and vigor. Translations signify the male sex organ, though the Latin prefix vir, meaning man and husband. All to say, society honored a man fit for the physical demands of war and his sound judgment, to claim command over his passions, alike. The adage rings with the sentiment, "Virility is to men as fertility is to women."
What happens to testosterone as you age
Naturally, the hormone starts to descend—The Mayo Clinic states—"typically about 1% a year after age 30 or 40. " The decline faults a compound of physical changes, including weight gain, hair loss, and sexual function, in addition to the possibility for depression, low self-esteem, and memory loss. Understanding these changes as adverse consequences to age, men conclude the aging body as an antithetical experience to the days of youth. Unyielding, they assert logic to administer testosterone as a preventative.
Defining Low T
In age, as virility declines in direct correlation to low T, or low testosterone, the perception of what makes a man shouldn't, despite feelings otherwise. Medically defined as "as less than 300 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL)," it's the symptoms of decline in physical, emotional, and sexual health that provoke men to seek aid. Simply because what may be naturally healthy, or a matter of fact, doesn't appear, or feel, to be the case. Doctors treat this season subjectively for when the symptoms overwhelm, seeking medical council remains best practice.
Fertility
The widely accepted construct that men stay fertile is not entirely defined. "Researchers found it takes up to five times as long for a man over 45 to get a woman pregnant than if he was under 25 [years old.]" The reality impacted by the natural decline in sexual function—sperm count and delayed ejaculation—as testosterone decreases with age.
The male partner's age is claimed to be the "most significant factor" to pregnancy. Studies show "Men [over] 35 years had fertility rates of 25% compared with fertility rates of 52% in men aged [less than] 35 years, representing a 52% decrease in fertility rate." Though the statistics don't negate the possibility for love, relationship, and family.
