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The male menopause. Fact or fancy?
1Reproductive Medicine Research Institute, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands.
Australian Family Physician
|June 1, 1990
Summary
Men over 50 may experience a decline in sexual, physical, and intellectual function, sometimes called male menopause. This involves subtle hormonal shifts and age-related changes, not a complete loss of fertility.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Andrology
- Men's Health
Background:
- Aging men often experience diminished sexual, physical, and intellectual vitality.
- This phenomenon is frequently compared to female menopause, leading to the term "male menopause."
Purpose of the Study:
- To clarify the nature of age-related changes in men over 50.
- To differentiate the male experience from the established concept of female menopause.
Main Methods:
- Review of physiological and hormonal changes associated with aging in men.
- Comparative analysis of male aging with female menopause.
Main Results:
- The term "male menopause" is a misnomer, as profound hormonal shifts and complete reproductive loss do not occur.
- Hormonal changes are subtle, and fertility reduction is relative, not absolute.
- Other age-related changes include neural tissue degeneration, arterial narrowing, and reduced skin elasticity.
Conclusions:
- The changes experienced by aging men are part of normal aging, not a distinct menopausal event.
- The analogy to female menopause is limited due to the subtle nature of hormonal changes in men.
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