Men's Health: The Complete Guide

Key numbers at a glance

Why men's health deserves its own attention

On average, men in the US live several years less than women, and the gap is not mainly about conditions that only men can get. It comes largely from heart disease, cancer, accidents, alcohol, drug overdoses and suicide, all of which hit men harder, and from a long-standing pattern of men seeing a doctor less often and later. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men in the US, and many of the risk factors behind it, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes, cause no symptoms until damage is already done.

The usual explanation is that men are stoic and do not like to make a fuss. That is part of it, but the practical barriers are often bigger: work hours that clash with clinic hours, not having a regular primary care provider, uncertainty about what is covered, and not knowing which symptoms are worth a visit. Each of those has a fix, and most of this guide is about the fixes rather than the lecture.

Men's health is also not one topic. It covers the prostate and testicles, sexual function and fertility, hormones, the heart and metabolism, mental health and substance use, and a set of screenings that change as you get older. These are connected. Erectile dysfunction can be an early sign of heart disease or diabetes. Low mood often shows up as anger or heavier drinking. Poor sleep lowers testosterone and raises blood pressure. Seeing the connections is the most useful thing a guide like this can offer.

Checkups and screenings that matter, by age

Screening means testing people who feel well, to catch a problem before it causes symptoms. US recommendations come mainly from the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), an independent panel that weighs the benefits of each test against its harms, such as false alarms and unnecessary procedures. That balancing is why some tests are recommended for everyone in an age group, some are a personal decision, and some are not recommended at all. A screening test that is not on the list is not necessarily useless, but it has not shown enough benefit to recommend it for everyone.

Screening is for people without symptoms. If you have a symptom, such as blood in your stool, a lump or a cough that will not go away, you need a diagnostic visit, not to wait for your next scheduled screening. A normal screening result from last year does not cancel out a new symptom this year. The list below summarizes the main US recommendations for men at average risk; a strong family history or other risk factors can mean starting earlier or testing more often, which is a conversation to have with your doctor.

• Blood pressure: checked regularly from age 18, and more often from 40 or if you have risk factors
• Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes: blood testing from 35 to 70 if you have overweight or obesity, and earlier with other risk factors
• Colorectal cancer: from 45 to 75, using a home stool test or colonoscopy; from 76 to 85 it is an individual decision
• Prostate cancer: from 55 to 69 the PSA test is an individual decision after talking it through with your doctor; routine screening is not recommended from 70
• Lung cancer: a yearly low-dose CT scan from 50 to 80 if you have a 20 pack-year smoking history and still smoke or quit within the past 15 years
• Abdominal aortic aneurysm: a one-time ultrasound between 65 and 75 if you have ever smoked
• Cholesterol and heart risk: checked periodically in adulthood, with your doctor estimating your 10-year risk to decide whether a statin makes sense

Abdominal aortic aneurysm

The aorta is the main artery running from the heart down through the abdomen. In some people, mostly older men who have smoked, its wall weakens and bulges. An aneurysm usually causes no symptoms until it ruptures, which is often fatal, so the USPSTF recommends a single abdominal ultrasound for men aged 65 to 75 who have ever smoked. The test is painless and takes a few minutes. Men in that age range who have never smoked may be offered it selectively, particularly with a family history. Small aneurysms are usually monitored with repeat scans rather than repaired, and stopping smoking and controlling blood pressure are the two most useful things you can do if one is found.

Lung cancer

A pack-year is one pack of cigarettes a day for a year, so 20 pack-years could be a pack a day for 20 years or two packs a day for 10. Yearly low-dose CT screening in people who meet the criteria finds lung cancer earlier, when surgery is more likely to work. It also finds many harmless spots that need follow-up scans, which is why it is targeted at people with the highest risk rather than offered to everyone. If you smoked heavily in the past and are not sure whether you qualify, ask your doctor to work out your pack-years with you.

Heart, blood pressure and metabolic health

Men tend to develop heart disease earlier than women, and a first heart attack in a man in his forties or fifties is not unusual. The main drivers are high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, smoking, type 2 diabetes, excess weight around the waist, inactivity and family history. Most of these are silent. You cannot feel your blood pressure or your cholesterol, which is why they have to be measured.

Waist size is a useful clue that a bathroom scale misses. Fat stored deep in the abdomen, around the organs, is more closely linked to heart disease and type 2 diabetes than fat elsewhere, and men are more likely to store fat this way. A waist measurement above the healthy range for your height is associated with higher risk even when your weight looks reasonable, so ask your doctor to measure it and tell you where you stand. To track it at home, measure just above the hip bones, after breathing out, without pulling the tape tight.

Type 2 diabetes deserves particular attention because it often goes undiagnosed for years. Prediabetes, where blood glucose is above normal but below the diabetes range, is very common in men and can often be turned around with modest weight loss and more activity. A simple blood test at your checkup, the A1C, gives a picture of your average glucose over the previous two to three months.

If your doctor suggests a statin or a blood pressure medicine, ask what your estimated risk is and how much the medicine would lower it. That turns an instruction into a decision you understand. Lifestyle changes and medicines work together rather than as alternatives, and many men need both. Medicines for blood pressure and cholesterol work only while you take them, so stopping because your numbers look good usually means they will climb again. If side effects are a problem, say so; there are usually several alternatives to try.

Warning signs of a heart attack or stroke

Heart attack symptoms in men usually include chest pain, pressure or tightness lasting more than a few minutes or coming and going, often spreading to the arm, neck, jaw or back, with shortness of breath, sweating or nausea. Stroke signs are sudden: face drooping, arm weakness and slurred or confused speech. In either case call 911 immediately rather than driving yourself. Treatment is time-critical, and paramedics can start it on the way.

Prostate health and the PSA decision

The prostate is a walnut-sized gland below the bladder that wraps around the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body. It makes part of the fluid in semen. Because of where it sits, changes in the prostate show up as urinary symptoms: a weak or interrupted stream, difficulty starting, dribbling at the end, a feeling that the bladder has not emptied, and getting up at night to urinate.

By far the most common cause of those symptoms in older men is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate that becomes more common with age. BPH does not turn into cancer, but its symptoms overlap with other conditions, so new urinary symptoms are worth a visit rather than an assumption. Treatments range from simple measures, such as cutting back on fluids in the evening and limiting caffeine and alcohol, through medicines that relax or shrink the prostate, to procedures for more severe cases.

Prostate cancer is common, but many prostate cancers grow so slowly that they would never cause harm in a man's lifetime. That is the heart of the screening dilemma. The PSA test measures prostate-specific antigen, a protein made by the prostate. PSA rises with cancer, but also with BPH, infection, recent ejaculation and some procedures. A raised result often leads to further tests and biopsies, and screening finds some cancers that would never have mattered, whose treatment can cause erectile dysfunction or urinary leakage.

For these reasons the USPSTF recommends that men aged 55 to 69 make an individual decision about PSA screening after discussing the benefits and harms with their doctor, and recommends against routine screening from age 70. Black men and men whose father or brother had prostate cancer are at higher risk and may want to start the conversation earlier. There is no wrong answer here; there is only an uninformed one.

• Ask what happens next if your PSA comes back raised, before you agree to the test
• Ask whether to avoid ejaculation and vigorous cycling for a couple of days beforehand
• Remember that a normal PSA does not rule out cancer, and a raised one usually is not cancer
• Report urinary symptoms even if your last PSA was normal

Testicular health

Testicular cancer reverses the usual pattern of cancer being a disease of older age. It is most common in young and middle-aged men, especially between about 20 and 34. It is also one of the most treatable cancers: overall five-year survival is about 95 percent, and higher still when it is found before it spreads. The most common sign is a painless lump or swelling in one testicle. Other signs include a change in firmness, a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum, or a dull ache in the lower abdomen or groin.

The USPSTF does not recommend routine screening examinations by a doctor for men without symptoms, because there is no evidence that it improves outcomes for a cancer that is already highly curable. That is different from knowing your own body. Many men find their own lump, and getting to know what is normal for you makes a change easier to notice. A good time is after a warm shower, when the scrotum is relaxed. Roll each testicle gently between thumb and fingers. At the back and top you will feel the epididymis, a soft, coiled tube that is a normal structure and is the thing most often mistaken for a lump.

Men who had an undescended testicle as a baby, even if it was corrected, have a higher risk, as do men with a father or brother who had testicular cancer. Mention either at your checkup. Most lumps and swellings in the scrotum turn out to be harmless, such as cysts or a collection of fluid, but the only way to know is an examination and usually an ultrasound, which is quick and painless. Do not wait to see whether a lump goes away.

Sudden testicular pain is an emergency

Testicular torsion happens when a testicle twists on its cord and cuts off its own blood supply. It causes sudden, severe pain, often with swelling, nausea or vomiting, and is most common in teenagers but can happen at any age. The testicle can usually be saved only if it is untwisted within a few hours. Go to the emergency room or call 911 straight away, and do not wait to see whether the pain settles.

Erectile dysfunction is a health signal

Erectile dysfunction (ED) means ongoing difficulty getting or keeping an erection firm enough for sex. Occasional problems are normal, especially with tiredness, stress or alcohol. ED that persists becomes more common with age, but age alone is not the cause. An erection depends on healthy blood vessels, nerves and hormones, and on mood and relationships, so ED is often the first visible sign of something affecting one of those systems.

The blood vessels in the penis are narrower than those supplying the heart, so the same process that narrows the coronary arteries can show up as ED first, sometimes years before chest pain. Diabetes damages both blood vessels and nerves. High blood pressure, smoking, heavy drinking and excess weight all contribute, and so do several medicines, including some for blood pressure and depression. Depression, anxiety and relationship stress can cause ED on their own or make other causes worse.

That is why the most useful first step is a visit to your doctor rather than a website. Ask for your blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose to be checked at the same time, and bring a list of your medicines. Treatment usually starts with PDE5 inhibitors such as sildenafil, which work for many men, alongside addressing the underlying risks. Counseling, devices and other treatments are options when tablets do not suit.

• Never take sildenafil or similar medicines with nitrate drugs such as nitroglycerin: the combination can cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure
• Avoid "natural" sexual enhancement products and pills from unregulated websites; the FDA has repeatedly found hidden prescription drugs in them
• Go to the emergency room for an erection lasting more than four hours, which can cause permanent damage
• Licensed telehealth services can prescribe treatment, but should still ask about your heart, blood pressure and medicines

Testosterone: what is real and what is marketing

Testosterone is the main male sex hormone. It supports sex drive, muscle and bone, red blood cell production and sperm production. Levels drift down slowly with age, and they are also lowered by obesity, poor sleep, heavy drinking, long-term illness and some medicines, including opioids. Advertising has turned this into a widespread condition called "low T", and the symptoms it lists, such as tiredness, low mood, low sex drive and reduced strength, are real and common.

The trouble is that those symptoms have many causes that are more common than a true testosterone deficiency, including sleep apnea, depression, thyroid disease, anemia, alcohol and simply being overworked and underslept. A proper assessment checks for those as well as measuring testosterone. Levels vary through the day and are highest in the morning, so testing should be a morning blood sample, repeated on a different day before anything is decided.

Testosterone therapy is FDA-approved for low testosterone caused by specific medical conditions affecting the testicles, pituitary gland or brain, not for age-related decline alone. The FDA requires labeling about a possible increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Therapy also suppresses sperm production, sometimes profoundly, so it is generally not suitable for men who want to father children. If you are prescribed it, you will need monitoring, including blood counts.

What raises testosterone naturally is unglamorous: losing excess weight, sleeping enough, drinking less and staying active. Do not buy testosterone or anabolic steroids online. Besides the legal and quality problems, they can shut down your own production, shrink the testicles and cause infertility, and the effects can last after you stop. If you have used them, tell your doctor; it changes how your symptoms and test results are read.

Hair loss

Male pattern hair loss, a gradual receding hairline and thinning at the crown, is driven by genetics and the effect of androgens on hair follicles. It is extremely common and not a disease, so doing nothing is a perfectly reasonable choice. Two FDA-approved treatments, minoxidil applied to the scalp and finasteride tablets, can slow loss and sometimes partially reverse it. Give either at least six months before judging it, and expect the benefit to fade if you stop. Crushed or broken finasteride tablets should not be handled by women who are or may be pregnant. Sudden, patchy or scaly hair loss is a different problem and worth getting checked, since it can point to a scalp condition, thyroid disease or iron deficiency.

Fertility: the male half of the picture

When a couple has difficulty conceiving, a male factor is involved in a substantial share of cases, often quoted as up to half, yet testing frequently starts and stays with the woman. The basic male test, a semen analysis, is simple and non-invasive, so it makes sense to do it early rather than after months of tests on your partner.

Guidelines suggest seeking assessment after a year of regular unprotected sex without pregnancy, or after six months if the woman is 35 or older. See a doctor sooner if you have had undescended testicles, testicular injury or surgery, chemotherapy, or mumps after puberty. A single abnormal semen analysis is not a diagnosis, because results vary considerably; it is usually repeated. Your doctor may also ask about your general health, medicines, sexual function and any past infections, and may examine the testicles, because some causes, such as a varicocele, are found on examination.

Sperm take roughly two to three months to develop, which has two practical consequences. Changes you make today will show up in a test about three months from now, and a recent illness with fever can temporarily lower counts. The things with clear evidence of harm are smoking, heavy drinking, obesity and anabolic steroids. Testosterone therapy suppresses sperm production and should be avoided while trying to conceive. Expensive fertility supplements have weak evidence behind them.

Mental health, alcohol and suicide risk

Men are less likely than women to be diagnosed with depression, but in the US they are nearly four times as likely to die by suicide. Part of the explanation is that depression in men often looks different from the textbook picture. Instead of sadness, it may show up as irritability, anger, working excessively, risk-taking, drinking or using drugs more, or physical complaints such as headaches, digestive problems and poor sleep. Men are also less likely to seek help, and more likely to wait until things reach a crisis.

Alcohol deserves special mention because it is so often used to manage stress and low mood, and it makes both worse. It disrupts sleep, deepens depression and lowers inhibitions, which is part of why it is involved in many suicides. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise that if you drink, men should limit themselves to two drinks or fewer on days when alcohol is consumed. A US standard drink contains 14 grams of alcohol, roughly a 12-ounce regular beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine or a 1.5-ounce shot of spirits. Drinking less is better for health than drinking more, and not drinking is the safest choice.

If low mood, irritability or loss of interest has been present most days for two weeks or more, that is the point to talk to your doctor. Many insurance plans cover therapy, and some let you see a therapist without a referral. Effective treatments include talking therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy, medicines, or both. The hardest step for most men is telling one person; it is also consistently the most useful.

• Call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, free at any hour, if you are struggling or worried about someone
• The SAMHSA National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357, is free and confidential for help with mental health and substance use
• If you are worried about another man, ask him directly; asking about suicide does not put the idea in his head
• If someone is in immediate danger, call 911

Everyday foundations: activity, food, sleep and tobacco

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity, such as brisk walking or cycling on level ground, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, plus muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days a week. More is better, and any amount is better than none. Strength work matters more with age, because muscle mass declines from middle age and loss of strength is closely linked to falls and loss of independence later on.

For food, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans point toward a pattern rather than a list of banned items: plenty of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts, fish and lean proteins, with sodium under 2,300 mg a day and added sugars under 10 percent of calories. Men on average eat more sodium, more processed meat and fewer vegetables than recommended, so the most useful changes are usually adding vegetables and fiber and cutting back on processed and fast foods rather than following a fashionable diet.

Sleep is easy to sacrifice and expensive to lose. Short sleep is linked to weight gain, high blood pressure, low mood and lower testosterone. Loud snoring with pauses in breathing, gasping at night and daytime sleepiness can be signs of obstructive sleep apnea, which is common in men, especially with excess weight, and treatable. It is worth mentioning to your doctor rather than leaving to your partner to complain about.

Tobacco remains the largest single preventable cause of disease. Quitting at any age lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke, lung disease and many cancers, and the benefits start within weeks. Quit-smoking medicines and counseling substantially improve the chances of success compared with willpower alone, and the free national quitline, 1-800-QUIT-NOW, connects you with your state's service. Many insurance plans cover quit-smoking medicines, and vaping is not a risk-free substitute for quitting altogether.

Talking to your doctor, cost and access

Having a regular primary care provider is one of the strongest predictors of getting screenings done on time. Find one before you need one, so that when a symptom does come up you are calling someone who knows you. If work makes appointments hard, ask about early or late slots and telehealth visits, which suit many follow-ups and conversations about mood, sexual health and medicines.

Under the Affordable Care Act, most private plans and Marketplace plans cover recommended preventive services, including many of the screenings in this guide, without a copay when you see an in-network provider. If you are on Medicare, the Annual Wellness Visit is covered once a year without cost-sharing. Be aware that if a preventive visit turns into a discussion of a new problem, part of it may be billed differently; it is reasonable to ask the office how it will be coded.

Doctors can only respond to what you tell them, and men tend to understate symptoms. Before the visit, write down what has changed, when it started and what makes it better or worse. Say the embarrassing thing first, rather than at the door on the way out. If you would be more comfortable with a male clinician, it is fine to ask for one.

• Bring a list of every medicine and supplement you take, including anything bought online
• Know your family history: heart disease, diabetes and prostate, colorectal or testicular cancer in parents or brothers
• Ask "what is my number and what is my target" for blood pressure, cholesterol and A1C
• Ask which screenings are due this year and which you can skip

A practical yearly plan

Most of men's health maintenance fits into a once-a-year routine with a few habits in between. The point of a plan is to stop relying on symptoms to prompt action, because the most important problems do not produce any until late. A plan also spreads the effort out, so that you are not trying to fix everything in one burst of resolve that fades by spring.

Pick a fixed month, such as your birthday month, for the checkup, and book it before the year gets busy. In the weeks before, update your family history and medicine list and note any symptoms. At the visit, run through blood pressure, weight and waist, the blood tests your doctor recommends, which screenings are due, your vaccines, and how your mood, sleep and drinking have been. Afterward, put the follow-up dates in your calendar straight away, including any home stool kit, which works only if it is actually returned.

• Every day: move for at least part of the day, and keep alcohol within the guideline or skip it
• Every week: reach 150 minutes of moderate activity and two strength sessions
• Every month: check your testicles if you choose to, and notice any change in urination, moles or bowel habits
• Every year: checkup, blood pressure, flu vaccine, and a frank conversation about mood and sleep
• At milestones: diabetes testing from 35 if you carry extra weight, colorectal screening from 45, the PSA conversation from 55, lung screening from 50 if you qualify, and the aneurysm ultrasound between 65 and 75 if you have smoked

Every guide in this topic

• Testicular Self-Checks: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
• Prostate Health: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
• Erectile Dysfunction: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
• What the Guidance Really Says About Male Fertility
• What the Guidance Really Says About Men and Health Services
• Testosterone: What the Evidence Actually Says
• The Evidence on Men and Mental Health, Without the Hype
• What the Guidance Really Says About Male Pattern Hair Loss
• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
• Colorectal Cancer Screening: What Published Guidance Supports

Frequently asked questions

How often should a healthy man see a doctor?

A yearly checkup is a sensible routine for most adult men, and it is usually covered without a copay as a preventive visit. Younger men with no health problems may not need every test every year, but the visit is a chance to check blood pressure, review which screenings are due, update vaccines and raise anything that has changed. Having a regular doctor also makes it far easier to get seen quickly when something new comes up.

Should I get a PSA test?

If you are 55 to 69, guidelines recommend making an individual decision after talking with your doctor about the benefits and harms. The test can find cancers early, but it also finds slow-growing cancers that would never have caused harm, and treatment can affect urinary and sexual function. Black men and men with a father or brother who had prostate cancer may want to discuss it earlier. Routine screening is not recommended from age 70.

Is erectile dysfunction just a normal part of getting older?

It becomes more common with age, but age itself is rarely the whole explanation. ED is often linked to narrowed blood vessels, diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, alcohol, medicines or low mood, and it can appear years before heart symptoms. That makes it worth a proper check of your blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose rather than simply buying tablets. Effective treatments are available once the causes have been looked at.

Do I need to check my testicles every month?

Guidelines do not recommend routine screening examinations for men without symptoms, but knowing what is normal for you helps you notice a change. Many men find their own lump. If you choose to check, a warm shower is a good time. The soft coiled tube at the back and top is the epididymis, which is normal. See your doctor promptly about any new lump, swelling, change in firmness or persistent ache.

Should I get my testosterone checked?

If you have symptoms such as low sex drive, erectile problems, fatigue or loss of muscle, it is reasonable to ask, but your doctor should also look for other causes such as sleep apnea, depression, thyroid problems and anemia. Testing should be a morning blood sample, repeated to confirm a low result. Testosterone therapy is approved for low levels caused by specific medical conditions, not for normal age-related decline, and it suppresses sperm production.

Are online ED pills and testosterone boosters safe?

Licensed telehealth services that prescribe FDA-approved medicines after asking about your health are a legitimate option. Products sold as natural sexual enhancers or testosterone boosters, and pills from websites that do not require a prescription, are a different matter: the FDA has repeatedly found hidden prescription drugs in them, which can interact dangerously with heart medicines such as nitrates. Buying anabolic steroids or testosterone online carries serious risks, including infertility.

How much alcohol is too much for a man?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise that men who drink limit themselves to two drinks or fewer on days when alcohol is consumed, where a standard drink contains 14 grams of alcohol. That is a limit, not a target, and drinking less is better for health. Some people should not drink at all, including anyone taking medicines that interact with alcohol, anyone with certain liver or heart conditions, and anyone recovering from alcohol use disorder.

What are the signs of depression in men?

Alongside sadness and loss of interest, depression in men often shows up as irritability, anger, working excessively, drinking more, taking risks, withdrawing from people, poor sleep or physical complaints such as headaches and stomach problems. If these have been present most days for two weeks or more, talk to your doctor. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 at any hour, or call 911 if you are in immediate danger.

When should a man get checked for fertility problems?

Guidelines suggest an assessment after a year of regular unprotected sex without pregnancy, or after six months if your partner is 35 or older. Go sooner if you have had undescended testicles, testicular surgery or injury, chemotherapy, or mumps after puberty. The first test is a semen analysis, which is simple and usually repeated. Because sperm take two to three months to develop, changes such as quitting smoking take a few months to show.

What screenings are covered without a copay?

Under the Affordable Care Act, most private and Marketplace plans cover preventive services recommended by the USPSTF, such as blood pressure, diabetes, colorectal cancer and lung cancer screening for those who qualify, without cost-sharing at in-network providers. Medicare covers a yearly Annual Wellness Visit and many screenings. If a preventive visit turns into a discussion of a new problem, part of it may be billed separately, so check with your plan or the office.

When to speak to a doctor

Make an appointment for any new lump in a testicle or elsewhere, a changing mole, blood in your urine, semen or stool, new difficulty urinating or a much weaker stream, a cough or hoarseness lasting more than three weeks, unexplained weight loss, new erectile dysfunction, or low mood, irritability or loss of interest lasting two weeks or more. Call 911 for chest pain or pressure lasting more than a few minutes, sudden weakness on one side of the body, facial drooping or trouble speaking, or sudden severe pain in the abdomen or back with dizziness or fainting. Go to the emergency room or call 911 for sudden severe testicular pain, an erection lasting more than four hours, or being completely unable to urinate. If you are struggling or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 at any hour, and call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 if someone has taken too much of a medicine or swallowed something harmful.

Where this comes from

• US Preventive Services Task Force — Prostate Cancer: Screening
• US Preventive Services Task Force — Colorectal Cancer: Screening
• US Preventive Services Task Force — Lung Cancer: Screening
• US Preventive Services Task Force — Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Screening
• National Cancer Institute — Testicular Cancer—Patient Version
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases — Erectile Dysfunction (ED)
• National Institute of Mental Health — Men and Mental Health
• CDC — Infertility FAQs
• Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion — Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition
• Dietary Guidelines for Americans — Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025

How this page was put together

Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.

Medical disclaimer

This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.