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By Lauren Wilkin
A doctor is speaking out against the "male menopause" theory circulating on social media.
Videos are being posted across TikTok by health influencers who say men experience an "andropause" — the term used to describe male menopause.
Claims include that "all men" experience andropause, that it can start in the mid-30s and that it causes similar symptoms to female menopause.
But Dr. James Chao says male menopause doesn't exist.
"'Male menopause' is a misleading label that can turn varied midlife symptoms into an assumed hormone problem," he explained.
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"The word 'menopause' implies a predictable biological event that men simply do not share.
"There is no defined point where every man transitions from being reproductively capable to incapable," added Dr. Chao, who provides hormone therapy at his clinic VedaNu Wellness in San Diego.
In comparison, he describes menopause as "a cliff."
"Estrogen plummets by 90% or more over the course of a few years and marks the end of fertility forever," the chief medical officer explains.
"Testosterone on the other hand declines roughly 1% annually after age 30.
"That is such a mild decline that a 65 year old man could very easily have levels that a 35 year old would be jealous of."
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However, the doctor say that's the symptoms reported could be attributed to hypogonadism.
According to the NHS, hypogonadism refers to the testes producing few or no hormones.
"As for late onset hypogonadism, the diagnosis itself, it appears in approximately 2% of middle aged men," says Dr. Chao.
"Not 50% of men... not even most men."
He says symptoms like fatigue and low libido should not automatically be blamed on testosterone.
"There's a difference between low testosterone and identifying life stressors because you hit a certain age.
"Stress, lack of sleep, medication side effects, and metabolic disease all cause similar symptoms," he explains.
"Point is, throwing the term 'male menopause' around defeats the purpose of seeking answers for legitimate problems.
"Males don't have menopause."
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