Article by: Rumer Certeza
Photo: Corbis 

Aging females don't have to worry anymore about being the center of the biological clock joke. You got that right, fellas!

So does male menopause exist? According to recent studies, it certainly isn't a myth, yet is a rarity among us. Males, I meant.

Research gathered shows that sexual problems and low tolesterone levels show male menopause does exist but affects less of the male gender.

According to British scientists, three symptoms have been identified, and along with low levels of male hormone testosterone can be used to diagnose the rare condition.

The scientists have conducted tests on around 32 different symtoms, which could be possible linked to the male menopause, such as lack of energy, fatigue, impotence and depression.

Three have been discovered to have strong links, having indications that these were symptoms of male menopause. And these were, lack of an erection in the morning, decreased sex drive and erectile dysfunction.

Researchers say that in order for specialists to be able to diagnose male menopause, there must be a presence of all three key sexual symptoms together with low levels of testosterone.

Furthermore, other symptoms having a weaker link to low testosterone levels includes the following inabilities: being unable to lift heavy objects or run, not being able to walk more than 1km, incapable of bending, kneeling or stooping, plus loss of energy, sadness and fatigue.

Meanwhile, conclusions were made that a range of other symptoms were not connected with the male menopause and these include, poor concentration, nervousness or anxiety, difficulty of getting up from a chair, changes in sleeping pattern and a feeling of worthlessness.

Ilpo Huhtaniemi, professor of Reproductive Endocrinology at Imperial College London, as well as the Co-author of the New England Journal of Medicine study, says, "There are the cowboys that believe that half of men need testosterone and there are sceptics who say that it doesn't exist at all."

He goes further to elaborate that men who have symptoms in sexual dysfunction, yet possess normal testosterone levels can be given assurance that hormone treatment won't help and that other factors are causing their problems.

Bottom line is, the truth is somewhere in between. "It does exist, but is quite rare," says the professor.

And I sure ain't one of the rare ones! Oops.