Drug Challenges Porn's Grip on Testosterone-Boosting

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff
Posted May 20, 2009 4:15 PM CDT
Drug Challenges Porn's Grip on Testosterone-Boosting
Androgel is a legal steroid ... and has the side effects one might expect from such a drug.   (Androgel.com)

Porn might be the best way for older men to boost their testosterone levels, but don’t tell that to a drug company that peddles a cure for “low T,” Newsweek reports. Solvay Pharmaceuticals makes a “testosterone foam” that claims to combat such maladies as “lost height” and “falling asleep after dinner.” A Solvay ad tells men,“don’t blame it on aging.” But, really, it is aging.

Testosterone deficiency leads to symptoms in 5 million American men, and as many as 13 million have low levels. Though the falloff is natural—1% annually after age 30—one can’t expect men not to jump at a chance of rejuvenation. Porn does the trick—a study found even an erection boosts testosterone levels—but AndroGel’s promise of “more muscle mass” and “sexual desire” could sway medication-happy Americans. (More drug companies stories.)

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