“Some men’s health clinics are comprehensive, meaning they look at sexual issues and general health issues,” said Stanton Honig, MD, Professor of Clinical Urology and Director of Men's Health at Yale School of Medicine. “These men’s health clinics are run by people who are usually leaders in their field.”
Then there are men’s health clinics run by people who are not men’s health experts. These clinics are often more about marketing than medical skills. They may only offer treatments such as shockwave therapy for erectile dysfunction and dietary supplements that are questionable regarding long-term results and are considered “experimental” by reputable societies such as the Sexual Medicine Society of North America.
“It's important for patients to know what treatments are reasonable,” said Honig.
Here’s what you should know about men’s health clinics, what questions to ask and what other options are available.
A good men’s health clinic can help with issues like low testosterone or Low T, who are also having symptoms. Testosterone is the male sex hormone made in the testicles. Low testosterone can cause tiredness and a low sex drive. Some men’s health clinics call themselves “Low T Centers.” If you go to one, ask who’s running it. Is it a urologist who treats a variety of men’s health issues? Is it an endocrinologist who treats hormone problems? Both types of doctors can treat low testosterone. Doctors who aren’t familiar with testosterone management may just offer treatment and move on. That’s a problem because men on testosterone need proper follow-up care.
A good clinic will evaluate you for the cause of the problem, treat you only if you are having symptoms and will offer all delivery systems of testosterone. These include testosterone injections into the muscle and into the subcutaneous tissue, subcutaneous pellets, oral pills and nasal sprays. They will monitor patients during treatment with regular checkups and blood work to evaluate the prostate, hematocrit (or blood count) and questions about cardiovascular health. They will also ask if you plan on having children soon as testosterone treatment can negatively affect fertility.
A men’s health clinic can treat erectile dysfunction. That’s when a man has trouble getting or keeping an erection firm enough for sex. Ejaculation is when semen is released from the penis. Some men ejaculate too soon (premature ejaculation), some men take a long time (delayed ejaculation) and some men do not ejaculate at all. Ejaculation problems can also be treated at a men’s health clinic. A good men’s health clinic will offer all treatments such as oral pills like Viagra or Cialis, penile injections, vacuum erection devices, intra-urethral pellets or penile implants. They may offer shockwave therapy or other therapies but clarify that it is considered experimental. If they do not offer something, they should offer a referral to doctors who do.
Another common problem treated by men’s health clinics is male infertility. That’s when a man is not able to get a woman pregnant after they’ve been trying over a certain period of time. This can be caused by low sperm count, issues with sperm delivery or hormone problems.
Men’s health clinics can help with prostate cancer and testicular cancer awareness, as well as treatment for an enlarged prostate. All these issues can be stressful, which is why you need the right doctor. “The doctors that best understand these issues are urologists,” said Honig. “They’re experts in men’s health.”