Andrology is the study of male reproductive functions and their disorders at all stages of life.
The five central topics are:
- Disruption of procreative capacity (infertility), i.e., the reproductive functions of men under natural and pathological conditions. As partners of the reproductive gynecologist, andrologists can provide essential medical services in the detection and treatment of disorders of male procreative function.
- Disruption of hormone formation in the testes (hypogonadism) Impairment of testosterone formation leads to severe disorders of well-being and bodily functions (blood formation, bone metabolism, memory function, mood, libido and erectile function). Supplementation (substitution) with gels, tablets and injections is the main form of therapy.
- Erectile dysfunction (erectile dysfunction, impotence) Cardiovascular disease (eg, hypertension (high blood pressure)), diabetes mellitus (diabetes) and cancer cause impotence, conversely, impotence may be the first indication of other underlying diseases (eg, coronary heart disease).
- Male contraception (contraception) For men, the only safe contraceptive method is the severing of the vas deferens (vasectomy). The operating andrologist performs this measure and can also reverse this operation by microsurgical techniques (refertilization).
- The aging man (senescence) Not only the life expectancy of women, but also that of men is constantly increasing. The andrologist accompanies the aging man and helps with the desire for a high quality of life in old age with the means of anti-aging medicine.
The man with his specific male problems of the different phases of life is the subject of andrology, the andrologist therefore as a counterpart to gynecology the men’s doctor.
