What do men know about menopause?

• WOMAN: These are the changes in women from the age of 40

According to data from the National Statistics Institute, more than three million Spanish women are between 46 to 55 years old , an age arc in which menopause usually appears

Insomnia, hot flashes, mood disorders, vaginal dryness and decalcification of the bones are some of the physiological changes experienced by women during a stage, which marks the transition between the fertile period and old age, in which a decrease occurs. of the production of female hormones, estrogens and progesterone.

But to what extent are men aware of what this hormonal revolution means for their partners, physically and emotionally? This is precisely what a team of researchers from the Sanitas La Zarzuela, Clínico San Carlos and Miguel Servet university hospitals have tried to find out through a survey of 560 men living with women with menopause .

The result? "The room for improvement is very wide, " explains María Fasero, co-author of the work and coordinator of the Healthy Menopause Unit of the Sanitas La Zarzuela University Hospital (Madrid).

SO MUCH TO IMPROVE

When asked "what is menopause?", Even suggesting the correct answer, only 55.7% of those surveyed were correct in saying that it was the date of the last period . 38.4% confused it with menstruation disturbances, 4.6% stated that they were hot flashes and 1.2% could not define it.

"Menopause is a physiological period that marks the end of the reproductive cycle. Academically, it is the date of the last period and approximately 90% of women experience it after the age of 48. But respondents were not familiar with these concepts. In fact, 61.4% had tried to find out through friends and only 19.1% asked a health professional, "says Dr. Fasero.

Easier, it seemed, was the following question: "Does menopause cause hot flashes?" 93.7% got it right. "But they would have 'gotten better marks' if they had also mentioned decreased sexual desire, vaginal dryness, an increased risk of osteoporosis fractures, or insomnia . The vast majority of respondents related menopause and hot flashes, but do not know the rest of symptoms ", indicates this gynecologist.

In fact, practically none were able to cite symptoms related to vaginal atrophy: throughout menopause, women experience thinning of the skin and mucosa in the genital and urinary tract, leading to itching, stinging, leaking urine or pain during sexual intercourse.

"Can menopause increase the risk of other diseases?" An overwhelming 83% of men said no. And she was wrong. " Menopause does increase the risk of suffering other pathologies. The decrease in the production of hormones generates changes in the metabolism and in the blood circulation. These changes predispose women to have a higher incidence of hypertension, diabetes and increased cholesterol. All this increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, among other diseases, "says the doctor.

Is a calcium rich diet beneficial for women after menopause? True, like not smoking, not drinking alcohol, drinking 1.5 liters of water a day, increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables and exercising. 73.6% of the respondents mentioned some of these healthy habits, but practically none listed them all.

In this sense, the study coatura asserts that "a sedentary lifestyle, being overweight, eating a high fat diet or altering the sleep-wake cycle increases vasomotor symptoms at menopause; in addition, it can harm the health of men and women as well throughout his life. "

Does menopause affect sex? 26.2% of men answered no, although two of the most frequent symptoms are decreased sexual desire and pain when having sex . "They did not know how to detail the different treatments for vaginal atrophy: they knew the lubricants, but practically none were able to talk about creams, estrogen eggs, vaginal moisturizers, vaginal lasers and even the sex itself. In fact, only 5.7% of the men we surveyed knew that sex helps improve atrophy. "

Do menopause treatments make you fat? False. Although 34.1% of respondents believe yes. "In fact, there are scientific studies showing that hormone therapy can decrease abdominal fat."

Are they associated with increased breast cancer ? False, but 12.1% of those asked were convinced that they did. "They are totally safe and there is no relationship between their use and the appearance of breast cancer," emphasizes Dr. Fasero.

Do they serve to delay aging ? No. 27.7% of the respondents held that this was the main indication and 33% of them were not able to detail any more. "Hormone therapy does prevent hot flashes, protect against osteoporosis, and improve joint pain and sleep. Also, we know it may help delay arteriosclerosis or memory loss."

In summary, men living with women with menopause are still far from understanding the changes their partners are undergoing and the extent of their suffering. "The ideal would be to have specific health plans that include health education also for them. It is clear that if they knew better what their partners are experiencing, their relationship will be more fluid," Fasero concludes.

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