5. The role of hormones (androgens) and the male foundation in marriage

The Source of Sperm: On Hormones

Sex hormones, also known as endocrine hormones, are the body's "chemical messengers." They are secreted in very small quantities, typically in the range of nanograms to picograms, but their functions are extremely important.

The primary sex organ in men is the testes. The testes produce steroid-like substances that are closely related to the development of the sex organs and sexual function; these substances are called sex hormones. These sex hormones play a crucial role in puberty development and the regulation of sexual behavior. The sex hormones produced in the testicular tissue of men are called androgens (also known as androgens and testosterone). These hormones are distributed throughout the body via the bloodstream to exert their physiological effects.

The main physiological effects of sex hormones on men are:

① Promotes the development and maturation of reproductive organs and maintains the mature state of sexual organs.

The male hormones produced in the testes can promote the development and function of organs such as the epididymis, seminal vesicles, prostate, and vas deferens, and also promote the development and function of the testes themselves.

② Stimulation of the development and maintenance of secondary sexual characteristics

Androgens promote beard growth, which is why men grow beards while women do not. Androgens also promote protein synthesis and muscle development, so men are generally more muscular and physically stronger than women. Androgens also cause men to enlarge their Adam's apple and thicken their vocal cords, resulting in a different tone of voice compared to women.

③ Maintain normal libido

In other words, it's about generating and maintaining the desire for sex. The generation of sexual desire and sexual function is a complex neural reflex activity, involving physiological, psychological, and social factors. However, the root cause of excitation in the sexual center mainly lies in sex hormones. A lack of testosterone in a man can lead to decreased libido or sexual dysfunction. It can be said that male hormones are an indispensable material basis for maintaining male function.

④ Sex hormones are closely related to human metabolism.

The most important role of male androgens in metabolism is promoting protein synthesis. They stimulate growth, enhance metabolism, promote bone growth, increase weight, build a stronger physique, and promote bone marrow hematopoiesis, increasing cell and hemoglobin production. They also participate in fat metabolism, reducing stored fat in the body.

In addition to testosterone, men normally secrete trace amounts of estrogen. Because the amount is so small, it has little effect. However, in pathological conditions, such as increased estrogen levels, it can cause male breast enlargement.

Obviously, when there is a lesion in the testicles, the secretion of sex hormones will decrease, and the above functions will also decline, thus making it impossible to perform normal sexual function.

Men in marriage

The reason why the man got married

Marriage is almost an inevitable part of life. Barring unforeseen circumstances, nearly every man will marry at a certain age. So why get married?

Every man may have various reasons for getting married, but generally speaking, there are three main reasons: first, to satisfy physiological needs; second, to form a family, reproduce, develop human society, and ensure the continuation of the species; and third, to live a happy and fulfilling life and fulfill one's social responsibilities. The former stems from the needs of human beings' biological attributes, while the latter two stem from the needs of human beings' social attributes.

As the body develops, puberty arrives, and sexual maturity is achieved, various physiological changes occur in the body, and people naturally develop a desire for the opposite sex. Marriage is a reasonable, stable, and direct way to satisfy this desire.

Courtship, mating, and reproduction between males and females are instincts of all higher animals. It is through reproduction that biological species can continue. Humans are no exception. If everyone did not marry or did not have children after marriage, then in a few years, humanity would perish, and there would be no social development or historical progress. Therefore, from this perspective, every man's marriage is not just a personal matter, but a matter concerning the entire society.

Of course, human beings should not act solely on biological instincts regarding their physiological needs and the continuation of the species; they should also possess higher, more perfect, and richer social qualities. In other words, factors such as human thought, emotion, social consciousness, and ethics play a more important role in the union of the sexes.

Love is a unique emotion in human beings that arises from the union of the sexes, and it is one of the fundamental differences between humans and animals. When love between a man and a woman develops to a certain point, the desire to unite and live together will naturally arise. Unless there are other restrictions, marriage and the formation of a family will become a natural and inevitable outcome.

Does this mean every man must get married? Not necessarily. There are still people in the world who advocate for celibacy, and there are indeed people in society who are perfectly normal in both physical and mental development, yet remain unmarried. How can this be explained? Some believe it's a phenomenon of "replacement."

Replacement is caused by factors such as faith, morality, and career, some of which are positive and others negative. Only when these factors become so strong in a person that they far outweigh the "temptation" of marriage itself, and the act of marriage hinders the reasonable existence of these factors, will the "excitement" of marriage be replaced or masked, and these people will remain unmarried for life. Of course, this situation is not very common, and most unmarried people are unmarried due to social and environmental factors, such as never meeting a soulmate and missing out on love for life.

Taboos of marriage

1. Close relatives cannot marry.

Because newly married couples are highly likely to carry the same genes. Some genetic diseases only manifest in offspring when both parents possess the same "pathogenic gene" and they pass it on. It can be said that consanguineous marriage is a "fertile ground" for the occurrence and continuation of certain genetic diseases. For example, spina bifida, anapex disease, and congenital heart disease have a higher incidence rate in their offspring. If family members of schizophrenia patients marry within each other, their children have a higher chance of developing the disease than children from unrelated marriages.

2. Individuals with the following conditions should not marry.

① People with severe genetic diseases and congenital malformations, such as schizophrenia, congenital dementia, progressive muscular dystrophy, and muscle rigidity.

② People with uncorrectable genital malformations.

③ Lineal relatives and collateral relatives within three generations. Marriage is also not advisable if close relatives of both the man and woman suffer from the same hereditary disease, such as congenital deafness or albinism.

3. Individuals with any of the following circumstances should postpone their marriage.

① Individuals with genital malformations who are confirmed to be able to have normal sexual intercourse after corrective surgery; such as phimosis or hypospadias.

② Patients with infectious diseases who are in the prescribed isolation period, or those with chronic diseases in the active phase such as acute hepatitis, nephritis, or chronic hepatitis, nephritis, or heart disease, etc. Getting married during an illness, due to fatigue and sexual activity, is not conducive to recovery.

4. The age of childbearing is closely related to eugenics.

Although my country's constitution stipulates that men can marry at 22 and women at 20, from a eugenic perspective, the optimal childbearing age for women is around 25, and for men around 27. According to some foreign statistics, the birth rate of children with intellectual disabilities is less than 1 in 800 for pregnant women under 30; 1 in 250 for pregnant women aged 30-39; 1 in 100 for pregnant women aged 40-44; and 1 in 50 for pregnant women over 45.

5. Men should avoid smoking and drinking.

Because cigarettes contain harmful substances that damage sperm, fertilization by damaged sperm can result in birth defects. Alcohol is also harmful to the normal development of reproductive cells; the saying "don't go to bed after drinking" has some truth to it. In some countries, this type of intellectual disability caused by excessive drinking is called "Sunday baby."

Therefore, if you want your child to be healthy, smart, lively, and adorable, you cannot ignore family planning work. You must treat eugenics and good parenting as a top priority. At the same time, you must work hard to learn relevant knowledge and consult relevant personnel or obstetricians and gynecologists in a timely manner when you encounter problems. You must not be careless or confused and accept the "bitter fruit".