Low-sex drive not ‘male menopause,’ experts debunk comparison with women

Stock image of doctor holding blood tube for analysis of Testosterone in Biochemistry lab.

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Literature exists about “male menopause,” but it does not compare to the menopause that women experience.

As Live Science reported, hormonal changes impact the male body, but it doesn’t involve a complete shut down of the reproduction system as it does in women.

Men have described similar symptoms such as hot flashes, but the director of the Men’s Clinic at UCLA told Live Science that “andropause” is a nonmedical term. Menopause is an official term.

However, as men age, they experience certain changes and symptoms.

As Healthline describes, “male menopause” also known as andropause, affects men ages 50 and over. A decline in testosterone levels can come with fatigue, insomnia, erectile dysfunction, and even hot flashes.

Andropause and menopause caused by a decline in hormonal levels

Throughout our lives, our hormones continue to change as they regulate all the cells in the human body. But they play a key role, testosterone and estrogen, in particular, in our reproductive health.

For males, testosterone levels are low as they enter puberty, and then, they increase through their sexual maturity. Beginning at thirty, levels begin to decline gradually, about one percent every year, as reported by Healthline.

Over time, men produce less testosterone, but “men can maintain testosterone levels in the ‘normal’ range into their 80s and beyond,” as per Live Science.

That’s not the case for women, there’s no chance that they will not go through it. An abrupt and oftentimes disruptive period comes at the end of their menstrual cycle. It’s commonly understood that perimenopause and menopause can have a serious impact on a woman’s life.

A professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh even told The New York Times that 85 percent of women go through symptoms, and that, these women aren’t properly served in health care. “It suggests that we have a high cultural tolerance for women’s suffering. It’s not regarded as important.”

For males, typically, unless other health issues are involved, they won’t experience anything that would require treatment and management. Some women need hormone therapy, as menopause has even been described as “chemical castration.” Symptoms include mood swings, night sweats, and brain fog, and they can be severe.

However, in general, large percentages of women feel undereducated about this phase of life, 94.1% and 49.0% respectively.

Many men are also unaware of the shifts occurring in their bodies, which can also impact their mental health.

Andropause is not menopause—good to know

According to Live Science, the medical field doesn’t really understand why we stop producing testosterone as we age, but then, humans go through a life cycle.

That being said, doctors identified a new hormone in breastfeeding women that keeps their bones strong. Perhaps medicine will be able to one day capitalize on some new knowledge that they can apply to older populations. We’re not there yet in this case.

However, as low testosterone levels are associated with health complications such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, insomnia, and lower energy overall, men can exercise, eat a health balanced diet, and even take testosterone supplements to support their health.

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Women produce testosterone in small amounts in their ovaries which supports their libido and sexual health overall. Actually, lower testosterone levels can impact a woman, too, so hormone health applies to everyone.

Thus, , if someone is experiencing fatigue, muscle weakness, and mood shifts, it might be a sign that they need to support that aspect of their health, as it could be related to testosterone levels.

Both men and women undergo changes as they age. While some men may experience symptoms similar to andropause, it’s not a universally applicable medical term and doesn’t align with menopause.

But it’s beneficial to educate people about the shifts and changes that the body goes through as it moves through life.

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ABOUT THE EDITOR

Maria Mocerino Originally from LA, Maria Mocerino has been published in Business Insider, The Irish Examiner, The Rogue Mag, Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines, and now Interesting Engineering.