Doctors in office
Love Your Body!

February 10, 2020

It is February and romance is in the air. Whether you celebrate this holiday with your significant other, your friends, or even alone, one thing remains certain: showing self-care and love towards your body is year-round! At Athens Area Urology, we offer a wide variety of services for our patients. It is often recommended that most people see a urologist at least once a year, especially if you are forty years or older. However, some conditions may require more than an annual visit.

Many of our patients visit us for intimacy and fertility issues. Having these problems is nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about, and are actually quite common! At Athens Area Urology, we can help with a variety of problems, such as erectile dysfunction, low testosterone (also called hypogonadism), male infertility, Peyronie’s Disease, and varicocele. These terms may sound confusing and even intimidating at first, but our team of experts at AAU provides full transparency.

Erectile dysfunction can sometimes happen during sex but only becomes a problem once it is progressive and regular. Erectile dysfunction is nothing to feel shameful about; in fact, it affects over thirty million men! Without the proper hormones and nerve input, it can be extremely difficult for a man to maintain an erection during sex. Thankfully, Athens Area Urology provides a comfortable atmosphere where we can help determine the cause of your erectile dysfunction with ease. From there, AAU can determine whether oral medications or more advanced treatments are better for each specific case.

As men become older, lowering testosterone levels are normal. Symptoms of low testosterone include erectile dysfunction, low sex drive, low energy, feelings of depression, increased body fat, and reduced muscle mass. At AAU, after evaluating a patient’s situation, we can offer testosterone replacement therapy. These forms of therapy are safe and always appropriately determined before given to the patient. Examples of testosterone replacement therapy can include (but are not limited to): patches, long-acting pellets, shots, and skin gels.

Did you know that in over one-third of infertility cases, the problem is with the man? Sperm production is a complex process that can fail if certain aspects are missing. In order to have success, the tubular transport system must be intact (vas deferens, ejaculatory system, urethra, epididymis, prostate), along with the correct environment, genes, anatomy, and hormones. Several additional factors can also inhibit success, such as medications, chromosomes, hormones, varicocele, sperm production disorders, retrograde ejaculation, immunologic fertility, and obstruction. Regardless of the cause, AAU is here to help discover the problem and correct it (which often requires a semen analysis and hormone profiling).

Peyronie's Disease is a common occurrence when a man’s erect penis becomes curved and painful. Symptoms may include: soft erections, a bent/curved penis, lumps in the penis, painful erections, and difficulty with having sex. Thankfully, Athens Area Urology offers several treatment options for Peyronie’s Disease, such as penile injection and penile plication.

Varicoceles are also extremely common for men; 15 out of every 100 experience them. Varicoceles occur when there is a dilation of the veins inside the scrotum. Although most varicoceles can easily be ignored, certain cases require further attention. When varicoceles cause infertility, retarded testicular growth, or pain, they should be further inspected. At AAU, our doctors begin with a testicular ultrasound, which can help us determine the issue. From there, most varicocele treatment involves surgery, especially for those experiencing infertility, scrotal pain, and slowed testicular growth.

Regardless of the form of fertility or intimacy issues our patients are facing, Athens Area Urology can help. Call us today at 706.612.9401, or visit our website for more information. We believe our patients should love their bodies, not just during the holidays, but always!

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1150 Golden Way, Watkinsville, GA 30677
(706) 612-9401