When we talk about hormonal health in the workplace, the conversation almost always centres on women. Menopause has — rightly — gained significant attention in recent years as a workplace issue. But there is a parallel experience affecting men that receives almost no attention at all: andropause, also known as late-onset hypogonadism or, more informally, the male menopause.
This is not simply a matter of balance or political symmetry. It is a clinical reality that affects a meaningful proportion of the male workforce, with consequences for health, performance, and wellbeing that are significant and largely unrecognised.
What Is Andropause?
Unlike the female menopause, which involves a relatively sharp hormonal transition, andropause is gradual. From around the age of 30, testosterone levels in men decline at a rate of approximately 1-2% per year. For most men, this decline is slow enough that it has no significant clinical impact. But for a substantial minority — estimates suggest around 20-30% of men over 50 experience symptomatic testosterone deficiency — the drop is sufficient to cause a recognisable clinical syndrome.
The resulting condition is characterised by low testosterone and a constellation of symptoms that can profoundly affect quality of life, yet are often attributed to other causes or simply dismissed as ‘getting older.’
What Are the Symptoms?
The symptoms of andropause are wide-ranging and non-specific, which is part of why they are so frequently missed. They include:
- Fatigue and low energy — a persistent tiredness that is not explained by workload or sleep habits.
- Low mood, depression, and irritability — often presenting as a change in character that the man himself may not fully recognise.
- Reduced concentration and cognitive sharpness — difficulties with focus, decision-making, and mental clarity.
- Reduced libido and sexual dysfunction — a sensitive area that many men are reluctant to raise with a doctor, particularly in Caribbean cultural contexts where masculine identity is closely tied to sexual health.
- Loss of muscle mass and increased body fat — particularly around the abdomen, with associated fatigue and reduced physical capacity.
- Poor sleep — including insomnia and non-restorative sleep.
- Reduced motivation and confidence — a withdrawal from engagement, ambition, and interpersonal connection.
In a workplace context, many of these symptoms look like disengagement, burnout, or a performance decline. Without awareness that a hormonal cause is possible, neither the man nor his employer will think to look for one.
Why the Caribbean Context Matters
Caribbean men face specific barriers to recognising and addressing andropause that compound the general invisibility of the condition:
- Cultural masculinity norms. Across the Caribbean, there are strong cultural expectations around male stoicism, strength, and self-sufficiency. Admitting to fatigue, low mood, or sexual difficulties carries a significant social cost. Many men will quietly withdraw rather than seek help.
- Limited awareness, including among clinicians. Testosterone deficiency is underdiagnosed even in well-resourced health systems. In a Caribbean context — where specialist endocrinology services are limited and primary care practitioners may have had little exposure to the condition — the likelihood of diagnosis without prompting is low.
- Intersection with NCD. Low testosterone is associated with insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease — conditions already prevalent in the Caribbean male population. The relationship is bidirectional: chronic disease suppresses testosterone, and low testosterone worsens metabolic health. An employer investing in men’s health awareness is investing in NCD prevention.
- Stigma around mental health. The mood and psychological symptoms of andropause — depression, anxiety, low motivation — are often more distressing to men than the physical ones. Yet in a culture where male mental health carries significant stigma, these are the least likely to be named or treated.
What Can Be Done?
The good news is that testosterone deficiency is treatable. Where it is clinically appropriate, testosterone replacement therapy can result in significant improvement in energy, mood, cognitive function, libido, and body composition. The key is identification — and that begins with awareness.
From a workplace perspective, the most valuable intervention is creating an environment where men feel it is acceptable to discuss their health — and where managers and HR professionals know enough to recognise that a change in a male colleague’s engagement, mood, or performance might have a physiological cause.
This does not require clinical expertise. It requires awareness, language, and a culture of psychological safety that extends to men as well as women.
MenoHealth Academy’s Men’s Health programme brings this awareness to your workplace — covering andropause alongside broader men’s health issues in a way that is evidence-based, culturally sensitive, and practically applicable in the Caribbean corporate environment.
Contact us today to find out how we can support the whole of your workforce.
