Menopause: Why men need to care!

I originally posted this as a “note” on Substack and have updated it slightly and made it into a post.

I hope my followers who are women share this post with the men in their lives. It’s not medical advice. It’s just information that men in need to know. I was clueless about women’s health in the past. I’m not anymore and that’s why I’m making an effort to educate other men.

What is menopause and why should you care that your wife/partner is going through it or has gone through it?

Let’s start up by taking a 30,000 foot view of sex hormones. For males, our bodies primarily work on testosterone. Yes, there are some other hormones that are at play but when it comes to sex hormones, that’s pretty much the core of what we need to feel like adult males. Generally speaking, our testosterone is highest when we’re young men and drops over the years. Women on the other hand, have three sex hormones that are vital for the reproductive cycle. Those hormones are estrogen, progesterone, and yes, even a small amount of testosterone. Each month, these hormones rise and fall in an orchestrated manner to provide a suitable biological environment for reproduction. In menopause, those hormone levels fall precipitously and permanently when a woman reaches the end of her reproductive years. Low levels of these hormones can cause of variety of issues, including hot flashes, brain fog, reduce libido, muscle loss, bone, density loss, depression, pain with sex, and a variety of other issues. There is medical help to counter the side effects of menopause and I’m writing so that you understand the support that’s needed so your wife/partner can get the care she needs in menopause and she can live her best life. It’s my personal belief that outside of medical care during pregnancy, women are often treated like second class citizens by the medical community. That needs to change and maybe you can help make a difference.

Why should you care?

Let’s start with a thought experiment. Close your eyes and think of your wife/partner.  Imagine her smiling. Imagine her feeling well rested and comfortable. Imagine her with strong bones, strong muscles and in great shape. She’s doing great!

Next keep your eyes closed and keep thinking of your wife/partner. Now imagine her looking sad and tired. Imagine her in a cool room and her face flushed and her body sweating with an uncomfortable hot flash.  Imagine her having a mood swing and feeling happy one minute and then sad or crying an hour later without an apparent root cause.  Imagine her having trouble sleeping and waking up several times a night. Imagine her fighting to stay fit and having trouble with loss of bone density.

Open your eyes. Which version do you want to see? Are you motivated to learn more to live her best life with you? If not, let me give you a little more motivation why you should care.

Consider your love life and think of your sex life together. Is it good for both of you? What if I told you that hormone changes resulting from menopause can make intercourse too uncomfortable to continue? What if I told you all those other side effects may also cause her to have a loss of interest in sex due to reduced libido? She may no longer enjoy sex and not want to have sex any longer even if it’s been great for both of you in the past.

Do I have your attention now???

It’s not that she wouldn’t care about you. The reality is that you can’t expect anyone to want to continue doing something if it causes pain even if they enjoyed it before. Better lube or more lube might help to some extent and then again it may not be enough. Your partner/wife may need medical help and getting that help from her doctor or gynecologist might not be easy as you’d expect. That’s where your assistance might come in handy. You need to get educated.

My next post will be about Hot Flashes. Things are about to get hot Think the term “Hot Sex” is erotic? Think again Bucko!