Male menopause and the ambulance service

[Imnobody4]

Don't quite know what to say.

An ambulance service is permitting staff to take a year of paid leave for the “male menopause” even though the condition is not clinically recognised.

East Midlands Ambulance Service will take into account the experiences of male members of staff who are suffering from menopause-like symptoms such as mood swings and irritability, a lack of enthusiasm or energy, and finding it hard to sleep. Measures will also include providing extra uniforms and changing shift patterns.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/aacc15f2-61c0-11ee-977c-44b3e2b54888?shareToken=916319d1ca28b769ebde5d0b0e84f35b

Tina Richardson, deputy director of human resources at East Midlands Ambulance Service, confirmed that male staff could receive up to a year of sick pay if they are found to be experiencing the condition.

She told The Daily Telegraph: “As well as having menopause guidance, we also support anyone within the organisation who is affected directly or indirectly by the andropause. We provide occupational sick pay for up to 12 months based on service length. That will support absences which may result from symptoms of the andropause or where time off for medical appointments is required.”

Weird. I assume this comes under sick leave in general, and female menopause would be afforded the same? (Obviously if not, women could ID as male menopause). It seems doubly weird that 'anyone who is affected indirectly' gets "support" - if your husband, partner, colleague etc is suffering from mood swings and irritability, and that is making YOU suffer from irritability, you are entitled to the same 'support'?

What an odd article, I'd like it put in some sort of context.

What I object to is the 'mirroring'. Men and women are different. A menopause policy shouldn't include men.

'The term "male menopause" has been used to describe decreasing testosterone levels related to aging. But aging-related hormone changes in women and men are different.'
'In women, ovulation ends and hormone production plummets during a relatively short period of time. This is known as menopause. In men, production of testosterone and other hormones declines over a period of many years and the consequences aren't necessarily clear. This gradual decline of testosterone levels is called late-onset hypogonadism or age-related low testosterone.'

I think the mirroring is interesting in that if we assume that women are discriminated against because they might have maternity leave, migjt need time off for menopause, then it begins to even things up as men might take up to a year off for the andropause.

I don't immediately see the harm for women from this policy, though it does seem a bit nuts tbh

If the alternatives are late-onset hypogonadism, age-related low testosterone or male menopause I can see why they go for male menopause.

I can't see men pretending they have this to get a year off on full pay, oh no not me.

I don't know why the word 'andropause' is used. The 'andro' bit comes from the Greek for man, so are they claiming they stop being men - manpause?

The 'men' in menopause comes from the Latin for month, so 'monthly pause' makes perfect sense.

Do they allow women a year of sick leave for the menopause?

I would have loved a week off work for menopause symptoms….as would many many women I know.

This strikes me as one of those policies that attempts to make things equal between men and women but is actually misogynistic in its assumption about the impact menopause has on some women and that men’s symptoms are equivalent.

The male menopause is about as real as man flu.

My teenage daughter told me she heard the symptoms for the male menopause are the same as heart disease.

I'd heard something similar from an endocrinologist treating my BIL.

The tests and treatment are much simpler than for women.

He said two blood tests a few weeks apart would be able to tell if the man was low in testosterone which is easily remedied with a gel or cream.

My BIL was very low but was back to normal for his age in a few months.

My sister said he was suffering from mood swings, low sex drive, depression and low energy. The low result was also causing problems with his thyroid. His thyroid problems could potentially have affected his heart.

Offering men a year off is the wrong thing to do. Pay for a health check and treatment instead. It'd cost less and keep vital staff at work.

After seeing the difference in my BIL and my sister's marriage (which had been on the rocks due to them both going through a 'pause at the same time), I'd say get your hormones checked and sorted.

East Midlands ambulance service. Is that where Freda Wallace worked? Is it possible theg have had advice from someone with a bias?

@stealtheatingtunnocks

Yup that is where Freda works. Still works too I believe

Yeah but Freda can’t avail of this because Freda is a WOMAN…. Try to keep up

Are women allowed up to a year off with menopause?
If they are, then frankly I do not care if men get it for "andropause"

I would have loved this, taking a year off with presumably full pay for menopause, I've had a shit time with it over 7 or 8 years.

For fuck's sake.

By all means take care of your staff's mental and physical health, and raise awareness of under-recognised conditions, especially as they pertain to sections of the workplace demographic that are often overlooked. BUT WHY MAKE SHIT UP? Evidence based medicine is a big fucking thing and has been for a while now.

It just really smacks of "wah women are getting all of the attention about menopause now, what about uuuuuuusss?"

I'm not in the mood for this bollocks today.