There are experts who firmly believe that there is no menopause in men. It’s a myth, they say. A similar period can only occur in women. In recent years, the thesis has been creeping in that men, just like women, from a given moment in their lives enter a period of reduced sexual, and in general, vital activity, due to a drop in their specific sex hormone – testosterone. Andropause cannot be compared to menopause in women at all, believes Dr. Bradley Anawalt, an endocrinologist at the University of Washington in Seattle. In menopause in women, there is a gradual decline in the levels of the female sex hormone estrogen, which after three to five years leads to the cessation of the reproductive functions of the ovaries. In men, however, a decrease in testosterone synthesis is reported on average by 1% per year after reaching the age of Christ, and this process, especially when adhering to a healthy lifestyle, is extremely smooth and too long in time. The symptoms of low testosterone in the male body are: low libido, erection problems, lack of vitality, low self-esteem, tendency to bone fractures, severe general weakness. Such complaints can appear between the ages of 50 and 60. However, whether it is really a matter of reduced testosterone synthesis, can be understood after consulting a specialist and carrying out blood tests. It should be borne in mind that in some men, despite the low level of total testosterone in the blood, the level of free testosterone is normal, which means, according to experts, that the man is in good, active shape. According to doctors, no generally valid answer can be given about the need for hormone replacement therapy in case of testosterone decline. There are cases in which therapy is necessary, but therefore a consultation with an endocrinologist and a specialist in internal diseases is required, an explanation of the reasons for the low synthesis, only after that it can be undertaken and then only in case it is necessary. NEWS_MORE_BOX Hormone replacement therapy is seen as a means of rejuvenation by some men, but it is not always the right cure for everyone. Medicated testosterone improves the condition of some, but this does not mean that it works for others. Hormone replacement therapy is not always the best treatment option. Sometimes, with low sex hormone levels, specialists also prescribe human chorionic gonadotropin therapy. It has the property of stimulating the synthesis of testosterone. Human chorionic gonadotropin is generally used to treat reproductive problems in women. Taking testosterone off-label has its risks, whether it’s young or older men. A violent temper, a decrease in the size of the testicles, a risky drop in the good HDL cholesterol in the blood, acne, enlargement of the prostate gland – these are the consequences of the incorrect use of testosterone. Naturally, other specialists are of the opposite opinion and continue to claim that the man,like a woman, she suffers from menopause and needs special care, including therapeutic ones. This is the opinion of Dr. Jed Diamond, author of a book on the subject. Indeed, it is not correct to use the term “menopause” in men, since they do not menstruate and therefore “there is nothing to stop them”. But they, as well as women, experience a decline in hormone levels, physical and psychological changes in middle age, says Diamond at a specially organized discussion on the topic by the American Society of Endocrinology in New York.