testosterone gel

Good stuff... just ripped it from the Calgary Herald

First sentance in the last paragragh is my favorite :D

"The estimated one million Canadian men with low testosterone levels now have a new way to treat their condition.

Health Canada has approved a testosterone gel that is applied to the shoulders, upper arms or abdomen and is then absorbed through the skin.

A lack of testosterone is associated with fatigue, low sex drive and osteoporosis. A prolonged and severe drop in testosterone may cause loss of body hair and increased breast size.

Before this week, testosterone was available three other ways -- by periodic injections, pills or a patch that may cause a skin rash.

A Calgary doctor who treats men with low testosterone hopes his patients will like the gel more than other delivery methods, and therefore increase their chances of seeing an improved sex drive and attitude.

Dr. Rick Ward, a family physician at Crowfoot Village Family Practice and a member of the Canadian Male Sex Health Council, said most men don't take the symptoms of testosterone deficiency seriously and don't know there are treatments for it.

"A lot of men will reflect on these health issues and say, 'I'm just getting older,' " said Ward.

About a million Canadian men suffer from testosterone deficiency, but only about five per cent get any treatment for it, according to Dr. Roland Tremblay, an endocrinologist and andrologist at Laval University Hospital in Quebec City.

The gel, approved Tuesday, is called AndroGel and has met all of Health Canada's safety standards. However, because it is designed to be absorbed through the skin, women should not touch the gel directly or even the place where a man has rubbed it in.

Men should wash their hands after applying the gel.

Women have naturally occurring testosterone in their bodies, although at a lower level than men, and AndroGel has not been tested on them.

If women do come in contact with it, they should wash the contact area with soap and water immediately.

AndroGel is available only through a prescription.

Ward says chances are small the drug could be abused -- for example, by healthy men looking for increased sexual performance -- because it is available only after consultation with a doctor and, even then, only through a prescription."