Testicular atrophy is the shrinking of your testicles (“balls”).
Infections, alcohol overuse, and testicular cancer have also been implicated.
In some cases, yourfertilityand ability to conceive may be affected.
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Verywell Health acknowledges thatsex and genderare related concepts but are not the same.
What Is Testicular Atrophy?
These include Sertoli cells and germ cells that producespermandLeydig cellsthat producetestosterone.
This decreases the volume of the seminiferous tubules and, in turn, the size of your testicles.
Testicular atrophy is generally acquired with age or a medical condition.
Causes of Male Genital Atrophy
The causes of testicular atrophy vary depending on a person’s age.
Bilateral testes atrophy may occur due to other causes (environmental or genetic).
Adults
Testicular atrophy in adults has several common and uncommon causes.
The risk can vary by the underlying cause and whether the condition is unilateral or bilateral.
The risk is most noticeable early in life.
Some people express feeling self-conscious, believing that smaller testicles “make them less of a man.”
This can lead to sexual dysfunction and signs ofclinical depression.
The specialist will also order aserum testosterone testto measure the amount of testosterone in your blood.
For viral infections like mumps, the drug interferon may help reduce the risk of atrophy and future infertility.
Early treatment almost invariably affords better outcomes.
Even then, it can take up to a year or more for symptoms to fully reverse.
Not every case of testicular atrophy can be reversed.
This is especially true when atrophy is related to aging or because of chronic alcohol use.
In such cases, the aim may be to prevent further shrinkage.
Urologists are specially trained in diseases and conditions affecting themale reproductive system.
Summary
Testicular atrophy is the significant reduction of the size of your testicles.
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