I’m seeing, hearing and reading everywhere that men also have a hormonal cycle and suffer a male menopause. It appears that transformation from Lover Boy to Grumpy Old Git could be caused by a fall in testosterone levels. I got wondering why it is that you don’t hear a word about the male menopause for ages then suddenly it’s everywhere! Are the drug companies at their work again?
With increasing years the level of testosterone in the body gradually declines. In the middle years many men experience tiredness, loss of libido, poor erections, loss of muscle mass, mood swings and irritability. Some believe that these symptoms are a result of lower testosterone hormone levels and that giving men replacement testosterone therapy helps to overcome these symptoms. Link
I’m not saying there’s no such thing as the male menopause because I know a lot of Grumpy Old Gits and I’ve started to notice that some of our younger male friends are partying less and moaning more. I thought I’d devise this simple little questionnaire to help you measure your hormonal age*
Choose one statement from each part that most closely resembles your current situation.
Strength & Vitality
You push furniture around a room with your head. (2)
You can push furniture around a room with your head but only when you’re drunk and if you haven’t anything better to do. (18)
The only time you push furniture around a room with your head is when you’re receiving a jolly good seeing to. (25)
Sexual Orientation
You only love your Mammy (3)
You don’t like girls. (7)
Girls don’t like you (11)
Girls like you (16)
You like boys (21)
Sleep Patterns
You like a nap in the afternoon. You’re cranky at bedtime and up with the lark. (3)
You are a creature of the night. (17)
You’re up all night (21)
You like the odd early night and late morning (25)
You’re up at the toilet all night and you nap all day. (79)
Would Be Rude Not To
You could entertain yourself for hours. (14)
You entertain each other all the time (23)
You entertain each other fairly often (34)
You entertain each other once in a while (45)
Mood
You are a proper Sunny Jim (1)
You gripe a bit at bedtime (6)
Schooldays were the happiest… (14)
First love is the sweetest…(16)
…After the hurly burly (30)
Someone’s parked outside our house! (35)
My name is Victor Meldrew (65)
Total your scores and divide by five. The resulting number corresponds to your hormonal age**. For further information consult your GP who will likely tell you to go and boil your head. Not that I’d agree with that point of view as I really like the idea of a male menopause. It’s companionable.
*The questionnaire is only valid for male use. If females do it they may get skewed results. For example my own hormonal age was 49!
**The questionnaire is bogus.