I have been told by my doctor that my testosterone level was low. he's been giving me injections for the last year, he recently switched me to a gel type and I really do not know much about testosterone side effects in general. I am very scared because I read somewhere that long term treatment is not good and you will develop horrible side effects. what will happen if I decide not to continue with the treatment? (my viral load is been undetectable for several years and my t cells are above 850 -- I only take zerit and epivir)

Thank you for your question. Most typically, there are few side effects from physiologic level replacement of testosterone. When present, they can range from mild aggressiveness and hypersexuality to headaches. Long-term supraphysiologic doses of male steroids (like testosterone or anabolic steroids) can cause serious side effects; this is why we rarely prescribe them for very long periods of time. Switching from injectable testosterone to daily gels is supposed to decrease the large fluctuations in testosterone levels in your body, and minimize the side effects. -BY

Benjamin Young, M.D., Ph.D.