ColumnsHuman SexualityOpinionMen’s Sexual and Reproductive Health

Whenever we talk about sexual health in Nigeria, it is easily tagged on women so much so that If I asked you what the name for a female specialized doctor is, you probably might not know the pronunciation but you most likely would pull some letters from your memory and say “I know the word has a ‘g’, a ‘y’ and an ‘ist'”, referring to the word ‘Gynaecologist’. However, if I asked you the name of a male-reproductive specialised doctor, you might stare blankly with the look “Is there a specialised doctor for men?” Or you might just say “when a man sees a need to see a doctor, he just goes to see the doctor”.

This signals that the diligence of men in upholding, monitoring, and maintaining their sexual health is low, most likely because of the poor level of awareness in Nigeria. Until it becomes a matter of ‘life and death, it appears the societal egoistic expectations for men to handle things themselves play a role in their laxity. The danger, therefore, is that most men run in secret to roadside hustlers who station their tired Volvo cars or worn-out SUVs, wired with loudspeakers as they market with enticing words and idioms their unauthorized drugs and creams for erectile dysfunction, penis enlargement, and the likes.

This piece thereby seeks to create awareness in men and make the importance of male-reproductive specialised doctors apparent to them.

The word is “Andrologist”. Physicians who specialise in treating men’s reproductive-related issues are known as Andrologists. The field of their work is called andrology. For want of a direct comparison, (andrology) can be considered the male version of gynecology. Your guess might have been ‘Urologist’ but a urologist is majorly a doctor who specialise in the treatment of male and female urinary system-related problems; notwithstanding, a urologist can also specialize in andrology.

Moving on, andrology encompasses men-related issues such as erectile dysfunction, prostate disease, male hormone deficiency, and infertility.

As mentioned earlier, roadside hustlers who might refer to themselves as medical entrepreneurs do their best to pull clients. You hear them say things like “if you are a man, and any time you enter work with madam, everywhere don charge, madam eye don change, she comes dey cry say to make you put the thing fire on, but your machine gun no dey gree. You go carry e head, shake am, e go still put his head for ground dey find wetin no lost. You go shake am, dey pray make him look up so tey madam go vex comot from room; as a man, you no need to continue with that problem…come make we give you X drug/cream wey go jack your machine gun back to life. A problem known, is a problem solved.”

It is obvious these hustlers are centering on a problem known as Erectile Dysfunction. Erectile Dysfunction is the inability to achieve or maintain an erection while having sexual intercourse. According to medical knowledge, it can be treated with appropriate treatment taken at the right time. So, instead of running in secret to those roadside hustlers and putting your health at risk, make it a habit to see your andrologist.

Speaking of prostate disease, it has been medically speculated that prostate problems are common in men over the age of 50. The prostate gland is a male reproductive organ that produces fluids that feed and protect sperm cells. Inflammation (prostatitis), non-cancerous enlargement (BPH), and prostate cancer are known to be the three most common forms of prostate disease. The frequent urge to urinate, blood in urine, pain or burning sensation during urination, and painful ejaculation, just to mention but a few, are all symptoms. Again, your go-to solution centre should be your andrologist not “Baba Alomo”.

Also, in our society, we tend to believe only women face hormonal issues whereas there is a problem called Male Hormone Deficiency. Some findings suggest that high testosterone levels also influence the initial onset of prostate cancer and that the underlying factor linking diet and prostate cancer is probably hormonal. Any deficiency in male hormones or androgens(the hormone dominant in males as is estrogen in female), which plays an essential role in giving men the male attributes, can lead to many other health-related issues. Therefore, consulting an andrologist can help you as a man find the exact cause and effective solution.

Finally, infertility. Of course, the still prevalent and archaic Nigerian mindset that infertility is always female-related has been long proven incorrect, medically. NOVA IVF fertility submits that of all the infertility issues, around 50% cases are due to male-factor infertility. Seeking help from an andrologist who is specialized in providing proper and timely treatment for all male-factor infertility-related issues would be a better option than finger-pointing, passivity, or random advice.

Considering the poor decision of men regarding their sexual/reproductive health in Nigeria in the sense of neglect and seeking help from the wrong place, it is imperative that more awareness be created for greater visibility of andrologists so that men can pay keen attention to their health, thereby reducing the rate of critical cases in a country that still struggles with her healthcare system.