CASTRATION: SIDE EFFECTS
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Its disadvantages are certainly psychological (this can vary depending on a man’s age and stage of illness)—and cosmetic. (To help alleviate the stigma of castration, some surgeons perform what’s called a “subcapsular technique”— see above—in which only the testosterone-producing parts of the testicles are removed, and the outer shell remains. Also, testicular implants—which make the testicles appear normal—are available for some men.)
Castration is irreversible, and for many men, this is too final a treatment. In one 1989 survey, only 22 percent of prostate cancer patients opted for surgical castration; 78 percent of these men chose alternative hormonal therapy (they picked LHRH analogs, discussed in this chapter).
Testosterone is the hormone that makes men feel “manly.” When it is missing, some of the characteristics associated with being male vanish along with it. Side effects of castration—surgical or medical—can include tenderness, pain or swelling of the breasts (this is called gynecomastia), and loss of sex drive. Impotence is not an absolute certainty; 10 percent of men do remain potent. However, they are rare exceptions to the rule. (Impotence here, unlike impotence in other situations, means loss of libido as well as the ability to achieve an erection.)
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Tags: Erectile Dysfunction, Men’s Health
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