10 Oct 2003 @ 10:18, by Raymond Powers
Male Menopause Out Of The Closet
By John Schieszer
MSNBC October 1, 2003
Several years ago Dave O'Neal, 47, was having serious health problems that no one could diagnose. The Columbia, Ill., man was totally uninterested in sex and had very low energy levels. O'Neal went to several doctors and even a therapist but no one could tell him what was wrong. Eventually O'Neal was diagnosed with androgen deficiency, a problem of low testosterone levels in the body, also known as male menopause.
"One doctor just told me to take some vitamins and I thought it was depression, but they would never diagnose it as full blown depression," says O'Neal.
As men age, their testosterone levels gradually decline and some men go through what is now called male menopause. But many never get diagnosed or treated because until now male menopause has been in the closet.
"The male ego doesn't usually ever want to admit to having a problem. Men want to be macho and if they have a problem they just don't want to talk about it," says O'Neal. "I have had several guys come up to me and ask me questions. But the guys will only talk to me in private."
O'Neal thinks the issue is now becoming more mainstream in part because he and so many other men are finally beginning to discuss their experiences.
O'Neal has been giving himself testosterone injections twice a month for the past 5 years and now has no symptoms of male menopause. He also has few problems with depression and says he has a healthy sex life.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
While menopause is relative easy to diagnose in women < their menstrual periods stop < diagnosing male menopause (also known as andropause) in men is trickier and requires a blood test to check testosterone levels. Consequently, the condition often goes undetected.
"Very few people are addressing the problem of male menopause and the profound consequences the loss of testosterone can take on a man," says Dr. David Thomas, a professor of geriatrics at St. Louis University School of Medicine.
Thomas says of the estimated 4 million to 5 million American men with low testosterone, only 5 percent currently are being treated. About one in every 10 men between the ages of 40 and 60 has low testosterone. Among men over the age of 60, the numbers jump to one in every five men, according to researchers.
Dr. John Morley, head of the department of geriatrics at St. Louis University, believes male menopause is a serious condition that needs to be addressed.
"I think it is still in the closet but it is gradually coming out of the closet," says Dr. John Morley, who heads up the department of geriatrics at St. Louis University. "Low testosterone is a real condition that can cause men problems with their sex drive, strength and memory, and make them susceptible to weakened bones. But detecting the problem can be sticky because many men don't want to admit their sex drive isn't what it used to be."
Morley has now created a 10-question, Androgen Deficiency in Aging Men (ADAM) screening tool to help physicians detect the problem.
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