Testosterone Gel Has Men Pumped Up
A whole lot of men are already wondering if they are man enough, and the new synthetic testosterone AndroGel hasn’t even hit the market yet.
About 4 million men in the U.S. already take prescription synthetic testosterone, either by self-injection or via a patch which is most effective when applied to the scrotum.
AndroGel, due out this summer, is generating a national buzz because it’s a testosterone gel that works when rubbed on bare skin once or twice a day. The ease of boosting testosterone through a gel has attracted the interest of men ranging from bodybuilders to baby boomers suffering from flagging libidos.
The national dialogue has, of course, triggered concerns about abuse by young males and older men. At least initially, we can expect the discussion of the drug’s risks to be drowned out by the rush of men to the pharmacy. (From April 24 Time)
* How’d you sleep? If you’re a woman, probably not so well. Women sleep less than men - 74 percent get less than eight hours’ sleep, according to “Sleep Facts” on the Simmons Co.’s new www.simmons.com Web site.
Women also have shorter periods of deep sleep and are more prone to insomnia. (From the Philadelphia Inquirer)
* Barbie’s gone Native: Yes, it’s true - for the suggested retail price of $25.86, your child can own a Tlingit Barbie of the Northwest Coast.
The brown-skinned Tlingit Barbie wears a striped blanket and her black hair is held back with a headband. But like other Barbies, Tlingit Barbie has a waist that would measure only 17 inches in a similarly proportioned woman.
No word about plans for a Tlingit Ken. (From April 10 High Country News)
* Facts of life: The pregnancy rate for women in the over-40 age group swelled by 61 percent between 1984 and 1996, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. (From April Health)
* Perception vs. fact: Only 9 percent of Americans say obesity and inactivity are leading causes of premature death. Fact: Obesity and inactivity rank second, killing 300,000 Americans a year. Only smoking leads to more premature deaths. (From April 24 Newsweek)
* What annoys us? Men weighed in on some of the things they wish women would stop doing. The men interviewed by Marie Claire magazine said they want women to stop borrowing their razors, smacking gum loudly, wearing makeup, talking about astrology or asking if they look fat, wearing “grandma” panties and bras or white pumps, getting breast implants and in general obsessing about their appearance.
In turn, women were also asked what annoys them about men. The women said they dislike men “thinking procrastination is a way of life” and “thinking that breasts reveal anything about you as a person” and they want men to stop memorizing — and repeating — all the lines from their favorite movies. (From May Marie Claire)
* Quote of the week: They sicken of the calm, who knew the storm. — Dorothy Parker