Male Menopause: Does it Exist?

There has been a lot of discussion going on for determining whether men also suffer after the post hormonal changes, like women do. In women, after an age of 40, the level of female hormone Oestrogen starts declining and this leads to a condition called as menopause.

During and after the menopause, a woman experiences many changes – physical, mental and psychological. But whether men also undergo the same cycle, is not very certain. Many doctors have been saying that menopause in men exists. Though there are no proven facts or tests for this condition but many men have been experiencing similar symptoms that plague women during menopause.

Just like the secretion of hormones reduces in women, similarly it also reduces in men. After an age of 45 years, the male hormone – Testosterone starts secretion at a slower pace. Now due to this a man in the age groups of 40 – 50 years feels lethargic, nervous, is unable to maintain erections and loses concentration. This condition, which is seen only in men who are aging is known as Andropause. Every man has to go through this stage, but the way every man carries himself during these testing times is the real differentiator.

It is not wise to say that male menopause exists, just because men suffer from similar conditions which women do, during menopause. According to the definition of medical science, menopause is a condition wherein periods cease. And since men never experience periods, therefore men can’t have a menopause as such. The loss of youth, appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on face, hair changing their color to white and loss of memory are all indications of aging. It has nothing to do with one’s sexual orientation, especially men.

There are some striking features that appear in men during their post 50 years, like shrinking of testes, decrease in spontaneous erections, insomnia, frequent urination, anxiety and mild sexual arousals. But they are only because of the natural process of aging. Also, unlike menopause in women in which the hormone production stops completely, the rate of decline of the male hormone is much slower. And hence a man in his eighties can still boost of his fertility, but a woman cannot. Therefore, I feel that there is no existence of male menopause and it is just a conceived term by the doctors.