Hypogonadal conditions include a host of problems that affect your ability to produce sex hormones. These conditions affect the testes in men and ovaries in women.
Primary hypogonadism means that there is an abnormality with your gonads, and you may not be producing sex hormones (or are producing deficient amounts). These hypogonadal conditions develop for a variety of reasons, including:
- Autoimmune disorders, including Addison’s disease
- Genetic disorders, such as Klinefelter syndrome
- Excessive iron absorption (hemochromatosis)
- Liver or kidney disease
- Undescended testes
- Severe infections
Some people experience central or secondary hypogonadal issues, which means that the underlying issue may be in your brain. In this case, your hypothalamus or pituitary glands aren’t sending proper signals to your gonads to make hormones. This issue can stem from:
- Inflammatory diseases, including tuberculosis
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Rapid weight loss
- Pituitary disorders
- Obesity
- Tumor
It is also possible to struggle with hypogonadal issues if you have ever had surgery on your reproductive organs or on your brain or if you’ve been exposed to radiation.