Men In Bras: The Medical Reason

While for many men, wearing a bra is something linked with their sexuality, for a proportion of the male population, a bra is as necessary an item of clothing as it is for a woman. You see, sometimes men grow breasts too. While this is relatively rare for what I will term purely medical disorders, many of us are already familiar with the extra chest tissue gained by obese men. These breasts often remain even if the weight is lost, and instead of shrinking back to the ideal male chest, they form loose pouches of skin that can be rectified only by plastic surgery.

It is estimated that up to 40% of males will experience breast tissue growth during puberty, and many men find that through either hormonal imbalance, or obesity, the breasts they grow are every bit as cumbersome to them as to their female counterparts. Few men finding themselves in this position spend all day playing with them in front of the mirror, as the common male fantasy is supposed to go. Instead, the growth of breast tissue can be humiliating and demoralizing, as can the need to wear a bra.

The technical term for male breast growth is gynecomastia, and though its occurrence in adolescent males is often temporary, for many other men, the breast tissue can remain after the adolescent years. Science is as yet still undecided as to the causes of gynecomastia, however anabolic steroids have been known to induce the condition, and even marijuana is thought to be a possible, though unproven contributor.

Genetic disorders such as having an extra X sex chromosome (a condition known as Klinefelter Syndrome) often result in breast growth, as do diseases of various glands such as the pituitary gland. Certain drugs and diseases which affect a man's testosterone levels can also result in the growth of breast tissue.

Men with breast tissue find wearing a bra to be much more comfortable than allowing their breast tissue to flap about the place, especially if they are undertaking physical activity. Some men also find that they must tape down their breast tissue in order to avoid taunting and physical discomfort. Understanding is required in these situations, and perhaps if you happen to catch a glimpse of a bra in a bloke, don't leap to the conclusion that he must be dressing up as a French maid in his spare time. While this may be the case, it is also possible that he requires his brassiere for medical reasons, in which case commenting or looking at him strangely is rather cruel.

The moral of the story:

Bite your tongue there Cletus, it could be you wearing a bra next.