Marriage, Divorce and Male Testosterone

Abstract

Among male Air Force veterans of the Vietnam era, age-adjusted testosterone (T) levels are lower in married men than among those who are single or divorced. Contrary to the assumption of some sociological studies, age-adjusted T is not constant over time. T is relatively high during the years surrounding a divorce, and T level falls during the years surrounding marriage. Changing T levels may explain the low criminality found among married men, and the increase in wife abuse around the time of divorce.