ALCOHOL ABUSE AND HYPOGONADISM.

[Guest guest]

Is it always a matter of having a good time with friends or has it become a

problem? AA counselors say, “You do not have a drinking problem, until you have

a drinking problem”. This means that it is your decision to act upon it, when

you are ready.

 

I found this article and it could be a good resource for those of us who may

have a drinking problem.

ON HYPO & ALCOHOLISM. SCARY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

In males, inadequate sexual function (hypogonadism) related to alcohol abuse

includes testicular atrophy, sterility, impotence, loss of libido, reduction in

size of the prostate gland and decreased sperm production. Studies show

hypogonadism may be caused both by the direct effects of alcohol on the testis

and the effects of alcohol on parts of the brain that regulate gonadal function:

the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland. Research suggests that alcohol causes

hypogonadism by disrupting the three control points of the

hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG axis, which also refers to the control

of ovarian function in the female). Both human and animal studies demonstrate

that alcohol consumption is linked to direct toxicity to both the

sperm-producing and testosterone-producing cells of the testis. Brain mechanisms

that normally compensate to regulate gonadal function are also damaged by

alcohol. In layman's terms, alcohol can impair the ability to

have and maintain erections as well as the ability to have orgasms.