# Estrogen in men **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 7, 2002, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/estrogen-in-men/135730 "2002-11-07T16:34:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TheLadyLion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d78d45/32.png) [@TheLadyLion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLadyLion)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/estrogen-in-men/135730/1 "2002-11-07T16:34:33Z")
I am currently teaching two sections of Developmental Psychology at a local community college. Recently I posed an extra credit question to my students: “We know that women have low levels of testosterone and that men have low levels of estrogen. Since women don’t have testes and men don’t have ovaries, where do these opposite-sex hormones come from?” As it turns out, I myself had only half the answer to that question. Sources I have clearly state that testosterone is manufactured in low levels by the adrenal glands in both men and women. However, nowhere have I been able to locate clear information about the locus of estrogen manufacture other than ovaries. I located one source which stated that high levels of estrogen are present in a part of the male reproductive system called the “efferent ducts.” However, this source did not say that the efferent ducts produced the estrogen, only that it was present there. Hell, the article, didn’t even say exactly where the efferent ducts are located! OK, Straight Dopers, that is my dilemma and my question: what part of the male anatomy produces estrogen? It’s worth extra credit if you know! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/estrogen-in-men/135730/2 "2002-11-07T17:00:24Z")
Estrogen in _Men?!?!?_ :eek: Sacrilege! Blasphemy! Atrocity! ARRRGGGHHH!!! :mad: :mad: :mad: ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/estrogen-in-men/135730/3 "2002-11-07T17:50:45Z")
Virtually all estrogen production in men comes from conversion of testosterone in the “peripheral tissues”. By and large, “peripheral tissues” means fat tissue. So, obese men have more estrogen than lean men. Sometimes this contributes to breast enlargement. In rare states, estrogen can be produced by the testes but this is not at all significant in normal men. And just in case you’re wondering, the little bit of estrogen that men do have (from conversion of testosterone to estrogen in fat tissue) seems critical for normal health, especially for the bones. [Look here](http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/331/16/1056) for a unique and informative report. ---
**Author:** ![IzzyR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/2acd7d/32.png) [@IzzyR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IzzyR)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/estrogen-in-men/135730/4 "2002-11-07T17:52:04Z")
[http://www.ast-ss.com/dev/qa\_search/full\_text.asp?ID=487](http://www.ast-ss.com/dev/qa_search/full_text.asp?ID=487) > [@](#): > > Men produce estrogen in two ways. One is through natural hormone production in the testes and another way is through the aromatization of testosterone into estrogen. [http://www.benutsnews.com/cmrs\_male\_disorders.htm](http://www.benutsnews.com/cmrs_male_disorders.htm) > [@](#): > > Did you know that men also produce estrogen? The level of estrogen in the male body actually increases with age. The male body produces estrogen from its primary hormone testosterone via the enzyme aromatase. The body converts a certain portion of the male hormone to estrogen. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/estrogen-in-men/135730/5 "2002-11-07T18:07:27Z")
> [@](#): > > By and large, “peripheral tissues” means fat tissue. In this case, the human brain can be thought of as “fat tissue” ([see Singing Fish](http://www.sciencebase.com/mar99_iss.html)). Aromatase is present in brain tissue, and there are several reports that suggest estrogen may act as a minor neurotransmitter. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/estrogen-in-men/135730/6 "2002-11-07T18:25:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Squink \* > \*\* > Aromatase is present in brain tissue, and there are several reports that suggest estrogen may act as a minor neurotransmitter. \*\* Indeed. Perhaps the estrogen could also be coverted to catecholestrogen in the CNS and then act as a neurotransmitter. ---
**Author:** ![TheLadyLion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d78d45/32.png) [@TheLadyLion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLadyLion)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/estrogen-in-men/135730/7 "2002-11-07T22:56:20Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Enola Straight \* \*\*Estrogen in _Men?!?!?_ :eek: Sacrilege! Blasphemy! Atrocity! ARRRGGGHHH!!! Yes, Enola Straight… estrogen in men. Get over it.