Testosterone deficiency is responsible for some of the most common problems aging males (and females) face. These problems include an unfortunate reduction in both muscle mass and strength, increase in fat, and a problematic loss of sexual desire.

Other symptoms can include fatigue and, perhaps worst of all, testosterone deficiency can even lead to a dark depression.

In fact, testosterone hormone deficiency has become so commonplace that in 2003, 2.2 million testosterone prescriptions were filled by pharmacists.

Why were these prescriptions filled?

Well, for starters, many in the medical community now accept the once ignored condition called andropause, which is sometimes commonly referred to as male menopause.

Low testosterone is associated with andropause and a scarcity of this once abundant hormone in men is believed to be a major culprit in the symptoms of male menopause.

Andropause testosterone deficiency can be one reason for prescription testosterone being filled for a man by his physician.

Although there are natural methods to boost testosterone which can be very effective, using prescription testosterone gets you a higher dose of this hormone quicker, affording you a greater chance of breaking out of the funk that a testosterone deficiency can cause.

Unfortunately, along with the great benefits of prescription testosterone -- which range from higher energy, enhanced sexual desire, and mood boosting -- there are also several downsides.

The main downside is safety. A lot of doctors hesitate to prescribe testosterone, and quite rightly so.

There have been no conclusive studies on what a prolonged boost in testosterone can do to the body. This is a very powerful hormone, after all, and when you are taking prescription doses, you are, in effect, increasing it in your body in an artificial manner.

That's why a doctor will make sure you really need a prescription for it.

If you are suffering just from the natural slow decline of this hormone from the aging process, your best (and safer) bet is to increase it from the foods you eat and via natural herbs first.

Therefore, it's imperative that we look at the various causes of testosterone deficiency, because a lot of the causes can be remedied rather easily - - and without the dangers and expense of prescription testosterone.

There are three main areas to examine.

The main area, known as primary testosterone deficiency is of course, the testicles. They are followed by the pituitary gland, and then the hypothalamus.

What this means is that any damage to the above areas could cause a drop in testosterone levels. While this type of damage could be simple -- such as suffering a blow to the testicles -- the damage may be more severe -- such as testicular cancer, or even outright removal of the testis.

However, most common cases of a diminishing testosterone level is aging induced. Physicians have estimated that men in their thirties begin to lose about 2% of their total testosterone per year.

At a rate like this, it's no wonder 20% of men aged 60 and older are considered to have a testosterone deficiency.

With all these new signs of testosterone deficiency, it seems like the average consumer is more and more willing to turn to prescription testosterone.

Case and point -- as mentioned above, 2.2 million people got prescriptions for testosterone in 2003. Three years earlier, it was only 800 000. That means that in three years the cases for prescription testosterone leaped up almost three-fold.

Many people are turning to prescription testosterone in dealing with the unwanted side-effects of testosterone deficiency, but you should always consult your doctor and carefully discuss the potential side effects of each type of testosterone replacement therapy to see if it's right for you.