Does Andropause Exist? (And Does it Cause ED?)

The term andropause is quite controversial.

As used in the media, the term refers to the gradual loss of testosterone in aging men as it corresponds to the process of menopause in aging women. However, many are skeptical as to whether andropause even exists, and medical authorities agree the term can be very misleading. According to Wikipedia:

Andropause (or male menopause) is a rather misleading word, and a controversial concept. The word is sometimes used to describe a supposed medical phenomenon in middle-aged men...

The term andropause is a misleading choice of terminology (as is the term "male menopause"), because it suggests an equivalence with menopause, a complete and permanent physiological shutting down of the reproductive system, which occurs only in women.

Unlike the term menopause, the word "andropause" is not currently recognized by the World Health Organization and its ICD-10 medical classification.

Whether you take any stock in the concept of andropause or not is more or less irrelevant if you're suffering from erectile dysfunction. In most cases, the cause of ED has very little to do with testosterone levels and can be treated effectively without taking hormones into consideration. In other cases testosterone issues are a mere secondary cause of erectile dysfunction and must be addressed in conjunction with a primary ED line of treatment.