While menopause is a condition that we are all generally familiar with, most of us have

knowledge that is limited to the condition only among women. After all, we are aware that when a woman reaches the approximate middle point in her life, she exhausts the supply of eggs in her ovaries. This helps to trigger readily observed hormonal changes such as the ending of her monthly period. This female menopause coincides with the woman's loss of fertility. Once she has exhausted her supply of eggs her periods generally cease, and the woman's ability to get pregnant has come to an end.

Among men fertility is a far different situation and it often gets confused with issues of impotence. Here's the significant point to keep in mind as we consider the possibility of male menopause: a man may very well be fertile and yet impotent at the same time. How can this be so?

We must address the difference between infertility and impotence if we want to understand male menopause. In the case of infertility a man may be perfectly capable of producing and maintaining an erection, and may achieve orgasm. A man who is infertile may well be unaware of the fact that he is unable to impregnate a woman unless he has attempted to do so, failed repeatedly, and then had the necessary tests run to determine his level of fertility. If an infertile man never seeks to impregnate a woman he may never have occasion to learn of his infertility.

On the other hand, an impotent man is reminded of his condition every time he experiences the failure to achieve or maintain an erection. He may be completely fertile, but he cannot perform sexually in such a manner to deliver sperm to his partner.

Now that we understand the basic difference that separates these two terms, infertility and impotence, we can begin to see why male menopause may affect one condition (potency) without affecting the other (fertility).

This is because in male menopause we often see a significant drop in the level of the hormone testosterone, and this can lead to many symptoms. In fact, a low testosterone level may lead to the exact conditions physicians are beginning to associate with male menopause, such as reduced interest in sex, unwanted weight gain, emotional depression, and the classic symptoms of impotence.

Well, that's easy enough to treat, just give the patient a bit of testosterone supplemental treatment and everything will go back to normal, right?

Unfortunately, it isn't that simple. Doctors have discovered that testosterone treatment is not suitable for every patient. It can cause serious side effects to the prostate and to the liver if the body doesn't assimilate it correctly. The physician has to consider all aspects of a man's health before prescribing this powerful treatment.

So, don't be confused by the terminology that gets thrown around on television or in magazine articles. If you're experiencing symptoms of impotence (not infertility) you must discuss this with your doctor so he can determine if you are dealing with male menopause, and if he says you are, then what you must do to address the condition.