Menopause is part of the common language of women’s lives. Some say that an equivalent phenomenon exists in humans and call it “andropause”. This is actually the story of testosterone.
- Testosterone is a steroid hormone secreted by the testicles.
- Women also produce testosterone, but in smaller amounts than men.
Menopause, which means “stopping of periods”, goes well beyond this simple phenomenon, since it is synonymous for most women, at least until recently, with a delicate moment in life.
There is no similar stage for men. And for good reason, in the latter, there is not a sudden stop of hormonal secretions. They decrease, but very unevenly and less painfully. Some call it “andropause”.
A term that has no real meaning
“Menopause” means the cessation of menstruation. With the same logic, we therefore understand that “andropause” – literally the disappearance of man – has no place to exist. On the other hand, the decrease in the performance of sexual activity, the manifestation of which is different in men and in women, if it is extremely variable from one individual to another, is a well-known and almost inevitable phenomenon. . For parity, we’re going to create a new medical word from the Greek like menopause. In humans, this should be called andromiosis. Decreased production of the male hormone par excellence, testosterone.
The man secretes it until the end of his days, unlike the hormones of the woman. Which explains why he can be a father very late. The history of the secretion of this hormone by the testicles summarizes the history of the male. It begins to be present in the blood of the fetus, presumably to affirm sexual differentiation. It stops completely at birth to resume at puberty. It is she who is necessary for the appearance and maintenance of what are called sexual characteristics. New distribution of bodybuilding, voice change, appearance of hair, increased libido, all this to prepare the true role of testosterone, the production of spermatozoa, therefore the fertility of the man.
A means of doping
As it has a role in the development of muscles, we find, unfortunately, more and more the use of this hormone in the gyms, which, let us remember, is strictly prohibited. We talk about it in the fight against aging. Faced with the drop in its level in the blood, many American aging specialists have recommended a contribution for rebalancing.
Yet it is banned in France as a drug against aging. But we know little about the real risks and above all, the minimum effective doses. There are drugs for erectile dysfunction. Should medicine’s promise of a life of well over 100 years also be accompanied by peace of the senses or not? The debate is now open in our country.