Dear Doc | Do men have changes similar to menopause?

Q I am learning that women age and have menopause, which causes c hanges to their body and vagina. I want to know if men have something similar, and how will my penis change as I age?

 

A. Like everything in nature, your penis will go through a series of changes as you get older. These changes are mostly related to your testosterone levels.

At the start of puberty, somewhere between the ages of nine and 15, the part of your brain called your pituitary gland releases hormones that tell your body to start making the hormone testosterone. After puberty begins, it brings changes to your body. Your testes (testicles), scrotum, penis, and pubic hair all begin to grow. Testosterone levels then peak in your late teens to early 20s.

The amount of testosterone in your body may drop slightly in your late 20s through your 40s, but the change is minimal.

After age 40, your testosterone levels begin to fall by only small amounts, lowering the amount your body has available to use. As testosterone levels fall, you will begin to notice changes to your body. The parts of your body that will mostly be affected are:

PUBIC HAIR

Similar to the hair on the rest of your body, your pubic hair will begin to get thin and may turn grey.

PENIS SIZE

You may notice that your penis does not seem as large as it used to. The actual size probably has not changed at all. However, you may have more fat on the pubic bone just above your penis. When that area sags, it will make it look smaller.

PENIS SHAPE

For some men, their penis may curve with age. This can affect its length, thickness, and function. This is a condition called Peyronie’s disease, and is caused by physical trauma. This trauma usually occurs because the shaft of the penis gets bent during sex. As it heals, scar tissue forms. The scarred portion cannot expand, resulting in a curved penis during erection. This condition can often be corrected surgically or treated with medications.

TESTICLES (TESTES)

These small organs inside your scrotum are responsible for making sperm. As your testosterone levels fall, sperm production reduces and they shrink as a result.

SCROTUM

The job of the scrotum is to help control the temperature of your testes. It is lined with smooth muscle that contracts and relaxes to pull your testicles close to your body to keep them warm or let them drop away and hang to cool them off. As you get older, the muscles do not work as well, and your scrotum stays in a more slackened position. Combine that with your skin’s natural decline in elasticity, and the sagging gets worse. Thus the term ‘saggy balls’.

But not only is there a change to the appearance of your penis as you age, but also how it functions.

The nerves in your penis get less sensitive as you age. This can lead to trouble with arousal, erection, and having an orgasm. As testosterone levels drop, erectile dysfunction becomes more likely. You may lose rigidity, but not necessarily your ability to have intercourse.

The most common cause for this is the inability to hold blood in the penis, which is what results in an erection. When this happens, you may be able to get an erection but not keep it, and the erection is also not as rigid as when you are younger. Blood flows into the penis, but the ageing muscle that surrounds the erectile tissue cannot keep it there. The result is lost hardness.

Changes to your sex organs and their functions are a normal part of ageing. You should talk to your doctor if these age-related changes are affecting your life and relationships. Effective treatment is available.

Send your questions to outlook@gleanerjm.com.