Does testosterone make you mean?

The ‘risk-taking’ male hormone is blamed for everything from sexual violence to the financial crisis, but some researchers are starting to question the supposed linksCharles Ryan has a clinic in San Francisco at which he regularly relieves men of their testosterone. This “chemical castration”, as it is sometimes known, is not a punishment, but a common treatment for prostate cancer. Testosterone doesn’t cause the disease (currently thethird most deadly cancer in the UK), but it fuels it, so oncologists use drugs to reduce the amount produced by the testicles.Ryan gets to know his patients well over the years, listening to their concerns and observing changes in them as their testosterone levels fall. Because it involves the so-called “male hormone”, the therapy poses existential challenges to many of those he treats. They know that every day, millions of people – from bodybuilders and cheating athletes to menopausal women – enhance their natural levels of testosterone with the aim of boosting their libido, muscle mass, c onfidence and energy. So what happens when production is suppressed? Might they lose their sex drive? Their strength? Their will to win?Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Biology Science Health & wellbeing Source Type: news