--- title: Sex: Reduced Libido Lowers Testosterone, Not the Other Way Around description: An intriguing new study from Australia finds that a decline in testosterone levels appear to be the result of a lower libido, not the cause canonical: https://time.com/3736984/sex-libido-testosterone-levels-older-men/ author: David Stout article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-03-09T08:33:13.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:05:09.769Z article:section: Health og:title: Low Testosterone Is the Result of Less Sex, Not the Cause og:description: So says a new study conducted on a large group of older men in Australia. og:url: https://time.com/3736984/sex-libido-testosterone-levels-older-men/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6ede2b4109de7947/698782b955a8593146a86323/old-man-woman-hands.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Elderly Couple og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Low Testosterone Is the Result of Less Sex, Not the Cause twitter:description: So says a new study conducted on a large group of older men in Australia. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6ede2b4109de7947/698782b955a8593146a86323/old-man-woman-hands.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Low Testosterone Levels Are Not the Cause of Less Sex but the Result of It ## Video: A 100-Year-Old Sex Therapist on Having Good Sex, Then and Now [Watch (HLS stream): A 100-Year-Old Sex Therapist on Having Good Sex, Then and Now](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/uJFYIrvP.m3u8) (3:13)  _Published 2014-08-20. A practicing sex therapist in New York City, Dr. Shirley Zussman has witnessed everything from the legalization of the contraceptive birth control pill to the AIDs epidemic in the 1980s to the rise of internet porn in the new millenium._ by [David Stout](https://time.com/author/david-stout/) ## David Stout Mar 9, 2015 8:33 AM UTC  Senior couple holding hands (mid section) Senior couple holding hands (mid section)Getty Images by [David Stout](https://time.com/author/david-stout/) ## David Stout Mar 9, 2015 8:33 AM UTC It’s normally thought that lower testosterone levels in older men lead to less appetite for sex. However, an intriguing [new study](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150308091408.htm) from Australia finds that a decline in testosterone levels appears to be the _result_ of a lower libido. That’s according to a report in Science Daily. “In older men, decreased sexual activity and desire may be a cause, not an effect, of low circulating testosterone level,” concluded lead study author Benjumin Hsu, from the University of Sydney’s School of Public Health. The research followed men who took part in the Concord Health and Aging in Men Project — a study of 1,705 Sydney men ages 70 or over, described by organizers as “one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive study of the health of older men ever conducted anywhere in the world.” During a two-year period, scientists found that baseline serum testosterone levels in men did not predict a decline in sexual activity or libido. By contrast, a decline in testosterone was strongly related to less sex and less desire. Researchers behind the new report stress that it remains unclear what other age-related factors may be behind the reduction in testosterone levels. \[[_Science Daily_](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150308091408.htm)\] ### See the 10 Healthiest Cities to Live in America  Honolulu, Hawaii Best Place for Lifelong Health The heavenly climate helps, but the key to well-being here also includes enviable health care and a rich cultural tradition of looking out for one another. Colin Anderson—Blend Images/Corbis  San Francisco Bay Area, Calif. Best Place for Eating Right. The "farm to table" movement began here. The region's bounty of produce and year-round growing season make eating healthy—and local—a natural. Getty Images  Burlington, Vt. Best Place for Raising Healthy Kids This New England city offers great schools, excellent pediatric care, loads of culture and limitless options for healthy outdoor fun all year long. Matt Hogan/www.mphoganphoto.com  Silicon Valley, Calif. 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Best Place for a Healthy Environment Small, walkable neighborhoods, 300 miles of bike paths, and urban policies that foster active living and sustainability make for one clean, green city. Getty Images  Boston, Mass. Best Place for Health Care This history-rich city is home to some of the nation's most advanced medical institutions and policies that help ensure that quality care is available to all. K.C. Cohen—Courtesy of Boston Children's Hospital  Provo and Orem, Utah Best Place for Spiritual Well-Being A stunning Rocky Mountain backdrop and a tight-knit population that lives its faith contribute not only to this region's serenity but also to lower rates of disease. 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