Menopause is a condition associated with women defined by the cessation of the monthly menstruation cycles. Menopause is characterized by an array of physiological and emotional changes related to the drop in levels of estrogen and progesterone. These include: hot flashes and night sweats, sleep disturbances, decline of bone mass that may lead to osteoporosis, irritability, increase in cholesterol level, depression, thinning of the skin, atrophy of the breasts and reproductive organs, memory loss and loss of sex drive. There have been claims that men also experience a similar condition to menopause, labeled andropause, climacteric or viropause. The definition of andropause as defined by online Merriam Webster dictionary:

“A gradual and highly variable decline in the production of androgenic hormones and especially testosterone in the human male together with its associated effects that is held to occur during and after middle age but is often difficult to discriminate from the effects of confounding factors (as chronic illness, stress, or medication use) that can depress testosterone levels—called also male climacteric, male menopause, viropause”

Similar to females, some males experience the symptoms approximately around age 40 ±, (interestingly parallel to the “midlife crisis” men are linked with).  However not all males go through andropause.

According to an article by Duncan C Gould, published in the British Medical Journal, the term menopause is not suitable for men as it indicates a sudden drop in sex hormones however the drop in testosterone in males is gradual. Below a certain plasma level of testosterone, males might experience symptoms similar to female menopause; therefore, unfortunately, the term male menopause has been used too freely.

Studies demonstrate a decline in testosterone levels that begin in early middle age and then progresses in a linear fashion.  Concentrations of available testosterone decrease by as much as 50% between the ages of 25 and 75 years, and it has been suggested that as many as 50% of men over the age of 50 have lower levels of testosterone compared with peak early morning levels in young men. Lower levels of testosterone are linked to testicular trauma, hereditary factors, insulin levels and obesity. In addition excess intake of alcohol along with a stressful lifestyle are also linked to lower levels of testosterone.

Symptoms typical to drop in testosterone levels  are very similar to women’s menopause side effects and include:

Hot flashes and night sweats.

Mood instability and irritability

Loss of bone density

Restless sleep

Decrease in sex drive and erectile dysfunction

Increased body fat and decrease in muscle mass

Testosterone replacement treatment relieves many of these symptoms but does not help in most cases of erectile dysfunction and does not increase the sex drive.

When a male suffers any of the symptoms listed above it is a good idea to be tested to verify if these conditions are related to a disease or to a drop in testosterone levels. Drop in testosterone levels could also be a symptom of other diseases and should be addressed appropriately by a medical professional.

If indeed men suffer from menopause, or any other term you wish to use, it is obvious that the aging process in men and women is a decline in what our western culture views as the ideal of the youthful image. Men too lose body tone and gain excess fat in the abdominal area along with the drop in skin elasticity and appearance of wrinkles.

I believe that the sexual drive is also related to the image we have of our body. When we age, it is difficult to feel sexy if the image we see of ourselves in the mirror is far from the image portrayed by the media of the youthful sexy object. If we do not like our body as we age, how can we feel sexy and how can we be in touch with our sex drive?

One option of feeling better about our sexuality as we age is to take care of our body. It does take extra effort to keep up with the natural aging path. It is important to be physically active, eat healthy food, avoid the sun and keep a positive outlook on life. There are many non invasive methods available for treating the aging skin of men. These include antiaging creams and masks, and treatments that induce collagen generation along with skin tightening and fat reduction. Improvement in appearance can sometimes induce a better self image and help one feel better about his sexuality, hence increase the sex drive and alleviate some of the symptoms associated with aging, menopause, andropause, climacteric or viropause.