It's no wonder that women don't exactly leap for joy when they enter the menopause: After all, the physical changes that accompany the menopause are not exactly pleasant. Women are more prone to mood swings, hot flushes can occur and sweating is not uncommon. Women also usually lose the ability to have a child. It goes without saying that many women don't exactly look forward to this time with a smile. We men often notice the change because it comes quite suddenly. But it's not just men who notice changes in their partners. This also applies the other way round.
May we introduce: the andropause
For men, too, there seems to be a counterpart to the menopause in women. Many women notice in the middle years of life (between 40-50 years) that their husbands change more and more - and not exactly for the better. He seems more sleepy, less aggressive, has a reduced sex drive and occasionally struggles with mild depression. It makes you wonder what's going on! Some sexologists explain this phenomenon with the so-called andropause ("andro" for "man"; "pausis" for "end"). However, this is not as abrupt a process as in women. In men, testosterone levels fall continuously from around the age of 35. Testosterone is considered the most important sex hormone in men and is also responsible for drive and a positive mood. If testosterone levels fall, it is also possible that we men become increasingly lethargic over time. We also put on more body fat. However, it is not only the falling testosterone level that is responsible for this, but also the drop in other hormones, says sex therapist Michele Weiner Davis.
However, andropause is much less well known than the menopause. And there are reasons for this. Because andropause is much less researched. Sexologists argue about this phenomenon. Some are certain that men inevitably have to struggle with such a phase. Others, such as ORION sex expert Anja Drews, believe that this term is more of an invention by the pharmaceutical industry in order to be able to sell more drugs for affected men on the market. The dispute is still ongoing and it is currently not 100% clear who is right.
I just wanted to give you a possible explanation if you are wondering why your husband is behaving so strangely. Perhaps he is currently going through andropause. Bear with him. It's not really his fault. On the other hand, he could just be being weird without the andropause really existing. It is always important to look closely and pay attention to changes in behavior. Don't make the mistake of permanently blaming strange behavior on hormonal fluctuations. This detaches responsibility from action. If possible, this should not happen.