The role for intramuscular testosterone injection in the gel era

Abstract

New treatment modalities for testosterone deficiency have evolved, such as the gels and the long-acting parenteral testosterone undecanoate (TU). Both fulfill the criteria of adequate androgen therapy, have proven to be effective in ameliorating sexual functions in young and elderly men, and are safe. Their mode of administration could not be more divergent; the gel requires daily application, but TU is administered every 12 weeks intramuscularly. A patient receiving long-acting TU being at higher risk when diagnosed with prostate carcinoma than one being treated with a gel is no longer believed, because the delay between diagnosing and treating prostate carcinomas almost always exceeds the duration of action of TU, which is 12 to 14 weeks. So, TU appears to be a viable alternative to the gels and will be preferred by many patients as a lesser interference with their daily lives.