Menopause happens to men too!

Menopause is a word that is usually reserved for women, so we think it only happens to women. Not true! If we look at how menopause occurs in a woman we can easily see how it can occur in a man as well. What may surprise you is that when menopause occurs in a man he will suffer the exact same symptoms as a woman. He will have hot flashes, sleep disruption, loss of sexual function, loss of stamina, depression, and fuzzy thinking, all the things that women suffer.

So what causes menopause? Menopause is caused by organ failure. For women this is ovarian failure and for men it is testicular failure. Another way to see the similarities between men and women is to realize that both the ovaries and the testes are called gonads. The function of the gonads are the same in women and men so if the gonads fail, whether it is in a woman or a man, the same symptoms and ill health will occur.

This raises an interesting question. Why don't we see men having hot flashes? Would we joke about it if we saw it? What effect would all of these symptoms have on a man's career?

Here is something to ponder. Say you know a man who is having hot flashes, can no longer engage in meaningful sex, wakes up every 2-3 hours at night and is having trouble remembering things. What effect would it have on his marriage, his parenting, and his job? Would you discourage him from seeking treatment or would you advise him to seek treatment and reverse his ill health because it serves no one to accept illness when an effective treatment is available?

Knowing all that you know now, what advice do you have for a woman in the same situation?