I read an article about the male menopause today that made me realise that this will have a particularly strong impact on autistic men.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-is-ims-in-men_l_68c42f3ce4b0b3dca95e7d4e
Before any of you start screaming "there is no male menopause", I would like to quote:
Along with the term ‘andropause,’ which refers to male menopause, it’s a useful shorthand for describing what happens to men through gradual testosterone decline and hormonal changes,” said Dr Justin Houman, assistant professor of urology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
It is an accurate term as it describes a group of symptoms much the same a women experience in their menopause but the exact cause is still being investigated.
the most common symptoms are:
Mood changes, including irritability, lower motivation and feelings of depression
Cognitive changes, like difficulty concentrating or memory lapses
Low energy and fatigue that isn’t explained by poor sleep alone
Reduced libido and fewer spontaneous erections
Loss of muscle mass and strength despite regular exercise
Increased body fat, particularly around the midsection
Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or poor-quality rest
Most men start noticing symptoms like those listed above between 40 and 60, though lifestyle, chronic illness and genetics can accelerate or delay onset.”
Who here amongst the male audience of over 40 can relate to these symptoms?
Unlike the female menopause, this is a very long process and can be much harder to identify its onset, has no proven treatment and is still very much being researched.
Think about how any autist will describe how much it gets harder to cope as they age, how much harder it is to do the same things (work, socialise, even everyday tasks like shopping) as they get older, so when you add this hormonal issue for men then it is adding fuel to the fire.
Do you think there will be any sympathy for the men going through this male menopause? I doubt is as our peers come from a generation that had an approach of "just deal with it" and our female partners seem to be particularly dismissive of male suffering, possibly because so many of us spent our life being stoic and not letting on that we are suffering emotionally.
Without major studies identifying the cause and possible treatments, it is likely to remain as poorly understood in the medical world as autism for some time yet, in spite of the huge numbers of people involved (almost half the population over time).
It is an interesting subject and the parallels to autism make it an interesting one to watch.
