If I’m not mistaken, lactation only occurs during pregnancy or after birth when the body has the correct hormones. I have never heard of non-pregnant women randomly lactating, yet there are men who do.
I understand men can develop the correct “equipment,” but why would they be experiencing the hormones needed to cause milk production when they aren’t pregnant? Women are capable of pregnancy but their bodies don’t make milk randomly.
In: Biology
Both biological XY males and biological XX females have all of the sex hormones naturally. It is the balance and interaction of these sex hormones that causes lactation to occur, or not. If the right hormones are present, anyone with mammary glands can lactate, male or female.
Prolactin triggers lactation, and prolactin can become elevated in males or females, even outside of pregnancy. Men are able to lactate because they can make this hormone too.
Further reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prolactin
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