Invigor Medical

Toxic masculinity describes the cultural pressure placed on men and boys to behave in a “masculine” way. Not just masculine, instead, a narrow definition of masculinity that punishes anyone who doesn’t meet the standard. A definition of masculinity that requires men to earn their masculinity, even at the expense of women, men, children, and society as a whole. It is used to describe men with the following personality traits: violent, domineering, aggressive, misogynist, and homophobic. The Good Men Project defines toxic masculinity as a cultural ideal of manliness, in which strength is everything and emotions are a weakness. Toxic masculinity was coined in the 1980s  by Shepherd Bliss , a psychology professor at John F. Kennedy University in Orinda, California, in reference to his militarized, authoritarian father. A Men’s Movement In the early 1980s, Bliss led a mythopoetic men’s movement . He describes mythopoetic as an alternative vision of what it means to ...

Medically reviewed by Leann Poston, M.D. on 9/17/20 For many appearance-conscious men, few things rank higher on the list of concerns or cause for alarm than male pattern baldness or hair loss.  While some well-known actors, models, athletes, and celebrities definitely rock the bald look with style (we’re looking at you, Bruce Willis, Dwayne Johnson, and Terry Crews, among others), for many men, it’s a scary prospect.  Hair loss doesn’t seem like something you can control, and there’s still a deep tie in many people’s psyches between a full head of hair and looking attractive. 

Men’s health clinics provide men with care equivalent to that provided by a gynecologist for women. Men have historically relied on to their primary care provider for help with male-specific health concerns. However, unlike a gynecologist, these specialists are not normally trained to address men's health issues as specifically as a gynecologist is trained to address women's sexual health needs. To meet this unmet need, men’s health clinics combine the services of many specialists to meet the needs of male clients. Some men’s health clinics are brick-and-mortar practices that restrict their practice to men. Others are online. Both have their benefits and drawbacks. Visiting a men’s health clinic is an excellent first step towards bettering your sexual and overall health. However, it is important to set expectations for the clinic to ensure they are legitimate clinics that provide the services you’re looking for. What Is a Men’s Health Clinic? Men’s health cli...

Urology is the study of urine. A urologist is a medical doctor and surgical specialist who specializes in diseases and conditions of the urinary tract in men, women, and children and the male reproductive system. What Is a Urologist?  A urologist is a physician who has been specially trained to diagnose and treat any condition related to the urinary system and the male reproductive system.   A urologist treats conditions related to the urinary system, which is made up of the: bladder urethra ureters kidneys adrenal glands They also treat disorders related to the male reproductive system: epididymis penis prostate seminal vesicles testes These conditions may include kidney stones, cancers, infections, incontinence, sexual dysfunction, and pelvic floor abnormalities. What Does a Urologist Do? A urologist is a trained surgeon. They use medical and surgical treatments to treat conditions that affect the urinary system or the male reproductive...

Erectile dysfunction is the inability to get and maintain an erection firm enough for satisfactory sexual performance. An isolated incident of ED is normal and is common; however, approximately 18 million U.S. men have more persistent symptoms. Though the incidence increases with age and is more common in men over 40, ED can affect men in their 20s and 30s. In fact, researchers found that ED affects 8% of men in their 20s and 11% of men in their 30s. Risk factors, such as poor diet, excessive alcohol use, smoking, and lack of exercise, increase the risk of developing ED. Therefore, taking steps earlier in life can help reduce the risk. Average Age for Erectile Dysfunction According to the Massachusetts Male Aging study , one of the largest studies ever focused on men’s health, over half of men aged 40 to 70 had at least some degree of ED. Depending on risk factors, men may experience ED at different periods in their life, either sporadically or continuously. In...

Many people may not automatically connect the dots between anemia and low testosterone levels, but low T is a contributing cause of anemia, especially in older men. Several clinical trials have indicated that testosterone replacement therapy can improve anemia and its associated symptoms in men with low testosterone levels. Approximately 10% of older adults have anemia , with men being affected at a higher rate than women. Anemia is a condition in which you are not making enough healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells pick up oxygen from the lungs, transport it through the bloodstream, and deliver it to your body organs. If you have a significant decrease in red blood cells, then the tissues and organs in your body may not be getting enough oxygen. Understanding the underlying causes and long-term consequences of anemia is critical. Anemia is diagnosed from a blood test called a complete blood count. Hemoglobin is a measured lab value, and hematocrit is calculated. Healthy ...

Erectile dysfunction is the inability to get and maintain an erection satisfactory for sexual intercourse. There are numerous potential causes of ED, but when the cause is physical, the common denominator is a lack of blood flow into the penis. Medications such as sildenafil, vardenafil, and tadalafil work by dilating blood vessels and increasing blood flow into the penis. Caffeine is also a vasodilator. Which leads many men to wonder whether caffeine is an effective treatment for ED? Caffeine has potential health benefits, such as increasing physical and mental energy levels, improving mental focus, and providing antioxidants. But, will it also reduce the risk of ED? It is important to consider that more than 90% of men over age 40 have a physical cause for their ED symptoms. Talk to your doctor about your ED symptoms. They may recommend that you start the diagnostic process by having your testosterone and other hormone levels checked . What Effect Does Caffeine Have o...

Most people consider testosterone therapy because they have a medical condition in which their body is not producing enough testosterone, or they are experiencing age-related declines in testosterone. Low testosterone, also called symptomatic hypogonadism, means that your testosterone levels are low enough that they are causing symptoms such as: Decreased sex drive Decreased energy levels Erectile dysfunction Mood changes Swollen or tender breasts Sleep problems Difficulty concentrating Muscle loss Increased fat, especially abdominal fat If you have talked to your doctor about the symptoms you are experiencing, and they are consistent with low testosterone, the next step is to check your testosterone levels. Men's Standard Hormone Panel Men's Advanced Hormone Panel If your lab work indicates that you have low-T and that you would benefit from testosterone replacement therapy, the next step is determining a delivery method. Each of these methods has pros a...

You’ve probably heard that masturbation lowers testosterone levels or that abstinence increases it. Small studies led people to draw these conclusions and make recommendations like abstaining from sexual activity prior to competitive sports, but how accurate are these conclusions? Scientific research on sexual behavior is notoriously difficult because it is hard to achieve consistency across studies. There is no evidence that masturbation has any long-lasting effects on testosterone levels, and there isn’t much evidence that it has any short-term effects either. Nevertheless, the question is important because testosterone does affect your health as does masturbation. Masturbation provides several mental and physical health benefits , including: Sexual pleasure Stress relief Mood improvement Feelings of empowerment No risk of pregnancy Low risk of sexually transmitted infections Ability to orgasm The ability to better understand your body A compulsion to masturbate t...