Andrology is called the branch of medicine dedicated to the investigation of diseases that are characteristic of the male sex. Andrology mainly focuses on those disorders that affect the reproductive capacity of man.
Summary
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- 1 Features
- 2 Problems it treats
- 3 Andrology and urology: differences
- 4 Source
Characteristic
Andrology experts, therefore, analyze different issues related to male sexual function. Infertility and erection problems are part of his approach.
Andrology is complemented by urology , which is the medical specialty focused on the urinary system. Both disciplines study problems that develop in the genital area.
Thanks to their knowledge, andrology specialists are able to diagnose and treat multiple problems that affect the reproductive capacity and sexual life of men. The treatments can be carried out through the administration of drugs or surgical interventions, to mention two possibilities.
problems it treats
There is the case of erectile dysfunction . The causes of erectile dysfunction can be varied: from the side effect of a drug to an injury, through a disease or a psychological impediment. To reverse this pathology, the doctor who specializes in andrology may prescribe a drug (such as Viagra ), indicate hormonal treatment or suggest vascular surgery.
It is worth mentioning that balanitis , varicocele , testicular torsion , and testicular cancer are other conditions treated by andrology. It is interesting to note that until not long ago, male infertility was associated with the quality and percentage of sperm, an outdated view that is now being replaced by attention to the aforementioned problems, among others.
Andrology and urology: differences
One of the reasons these two disciplines are often confused is that andrology is a subspecialty of urology . The latter deals with diseases and injuries that can affect the urinary system, but it does so for both men and women: whether they suffer from cystitis, incontinence or stones of various kinds, these and other diseases that can affect both genders, the urologist is the right doctor to treat them.
The main difference with andrology, therefore, is that it is dedicated exclusively to men, to male reproductive disorders. This can be seen in the etymological origin of the word: the first of its three components is andros , a term of Greek origin that translates as “man” ; then we have logos , which gives the idea of ”treaty, study or word” ; at the end is the suffix -ia , which denotes “quality”