MALE MENOPAUSE

by IKWA ODUBA
(LAGOS, NIGERIA)

Male menopause is not a condition of cessation of capability to father a child even though the debate is on that there are recent discoveries of a possibility that age can make it harder for men to produce sperm capable of conceiving a child. It is rather the tendency for androgen(male reproductive hormones) especially testosterone, to diminish with age in men.

The impact of decreasing androgens is known as andropause, also called menopause or PADAM(partial androgen deficiency in ageing male). It is a normal part of ageing, although for some men it is accompanied by a gradual and undesired decline in their sexuality, mood and overall energy. And the rising concern for this has to do with recent discoveries of its far reaching consequences.

For instance, a fairly recent study suggests that men over 40 are nearly six times more likely to father an autistic child than men under 30.

Schizophrenia may als be more prevalent in children fathered by older men, due to the fact that the qualityof reproductive hormones in men tends to drop with age, thereby culminating in the condition male menopause.