The male andropause is often referred to as the ‘male menopause’. Thanks to intensive medical research and publications, the female menopause has gained widespread recognition over the last few decades and women around the world are being treated successfully for their menopause symptoms with various hormone replacement therapies (HRT). The male andropause is just as common, so why is it still going unrecognised in medicine? And why does nobody talk about it?

Anecdotally, the middle-aged male is often described as the ‘grumpy old man’; with people describing a change in their partner, friend or loved one from once a fun-loving individual to someone who is tired and depressed once they surpass 40 years of age. However, this stereotype actually has its roots in the male andropause (often called the male menopause). Just as women have hormonal changes with age, men do too when their androgen (male sex hormones) levels drop. The male andropause includes physical and emotional changes that correspond to a decline in male hormone levels with age.