MENopause: Let's be a MAN about it!

Most men admitted to being affected by their partner's menopausal symptoms. Only approximately 10% of men thought that these symptoms had a positive effect on their relationships. So what about the other 90%?

Controversial, maybe, with the potential to stray off topic into women's rights, empowerment, genetic modification et al, but let's just for a moment take an opportunity to dig into the effect that women have on men. As women, our whole being is set up for menstruation and reproduction. The lifespan of a woman goes through phases whilst men's stay pretty much regular. This can cause conflict, misunderstanding, disillusion and unhappiness. SO, here is a look at how men can perhaps, better understand their partners, daughters, mothers, sisters, half sisters, step daughters, friends and lovers.

Women are not small MEN

A woman is an adult female human – not a small version of a man. She differs genetically, structurally and hormonally, all good reasons why the physical training of women should be adapted for their make up, structure and capability (topic for another blog).

• Genetically, she was conceived with two XX chromosomes not an X and a small y.

• The body shape differs in structure. Women have wider hips and whilst this makes things easier for giving birth, other biomechanical activities like running, jumping, playing football, are more difficult. There is increased risk of injury due to the increased Q angle (that between hips and quads) and knee tracking and alignment can also be affected.

• Hormones are the body's messenger system, for both men and women (see more below). However, the female messenger system operates on a 28 day* cycle between puberty and menopause to ensure the perpetuation of the human race. A man's messenger system (starting at puberty) operates roughly on a 24 hour cycle for most of his life, perhaps making it difficult for him to understand why she can't operate in the same way.

Women and men operate on different cycles

Hormones - yes MEN have them too! Boys and girls develop at a similar rate until puberty when the male hormone testosterone in boys leads to larger bones, larger muscles and increased red blood cell production. In girls the primary female hormone Estrogen leads to development of fat tissue around the hips and thighs; faster and more brief bone growth; shorter stature and lower total body mass overall. Whilst hormone levels remain constant and regular in men until older age, allowing them to operate on a 24 hour cycle for most of their lives, the female hormone levels operate cyclically. And this rhythm is normally approximately 28 days. This shows up in how they:

• sleep

• eat

• drink

• regulate temperature

• sex drive

Women MENstruate

Whilst men have various times throughout a 24 hour period when hormones dominate(!), women have one monthly cycle. And its amazing that in this day of tracking EVERYTHING from sleep, to calories, to steps, to bike rides, swims and pilates sessions, there is so little attention on tracking the variations that occur throughout a month beyond the length of bleed.

A woman's performance will be affected by the phases of her cycle, in terms of her activities, sport, her sex drive, cognitive function and mood. Day 1 of a bleed means there is less chance of a pregnancy so the body goes into relaxed mode before ramping up the cycle again in preparation for the next potential of a pregnancy around day 14.

Women experience MENopause

Women have various cycles, not only throughout a month, but also throughout their life, when hormones dominate. These are puberty, pregnancy, and perimenopause. The end of the reproductive years is only one day long. Day 366 after the last menstrual period. However, the lead up to this day could be considered as being similar to the teenage years of puberty. If, for a moment, we got curious about the hormonal fluctuations in peri menopause, and how they are similar to the hormonal imbalances in puberty, we might consider:

• this is part of a cycle of change

• this will take time

• this might be a bumpy ride

• this might be difficult for the individual going through it

• this might mean this lady, woman, wife, daughter, (girl)friend needs my support.

What to do?

First of all... guys, you compliment women. We love the fact that you are different and your steady regular 24 hour daily cycle is solid, comforting and it balances us.

We ask for a little help and patience in decoding, tracking, comprehending and appreciating our various hormonally driven cycles. Especially the big 3:

• puberty

• pregnancy

• peri menopause

  
  

The intention of this BLOG is to paint a broad picture of how women could perhaps be better understood by men as they go through the various natural life phases driven by hormones. It hopes men can enquire compassionately and in doing so enrich their experiences and relationships with the girls and women in their lives.

*for the purpose of this BLOG, I refer to genetically born females and an average menstruation length of 28 days. If you would like to join the wait list for the first "Her MenoScript", created for a male audience, then please sign up here

Join wait list

Resources:

Rest. Burrell Education 3rd Age Woman EVERGREEN Burrell Education

Roar. Stacy Simms

The Menopause Brain: Dr Lisa Mosconi PHD

https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2017/01/14/intergenerational-conflict-may-explain-the-menopause?