Why is andropause, male menopause, still taboo? – Exemption

Testosterone deficiency, which affects a portion of the male population as they age, remains poorly diagnosed and treated. Author Alice Thibaut and urologist Vincent Hupperton share their views on this little-known period of men’s lives.

Even more taboo than menopause. A hidden or even taboo subject, andropause, or age-related androgen deficiency (Dala), still affects 2% to 18% of men, depending on age and a number of criteria. Journal of Sexual Medicine (University of Oxford). But these figures should be taken with a grain of salt, because “While menopause affects 100% of women, for men we don’t have exact statistics on andropause because it is declarative.Vincent Hupperton, a urologist-sexologist in Paris, explains. In all cases, what forces men to seek advice is the loss of libido and the disappearance of morning erections.” Other symptoms are well-known (and often mocked) of menopause: hot flashes, night sweats, sleep problems, weight gain in the abdomen, feelings of depression, loss of energy… erectile dysfunction, because we always come back to this. are. , yet remain central to the diagnosis: “From age 60, all men’s erections begin to decline, as they lose 1% of their testosterone per year from age 20. At 60, they have 40% less, which translates to shorter erections for many men.