Menopause policies for men are being introduced at several NHS trusts, despite the official website describing the term as ‘misleading’ and ‘not helpful’.
Managers are advised to recognize symptoms, from hot flashes to emotional changes, as symptoms of male menopause or ‘andropause’, which affects men in their 40s and 50s.
According to these guidelines, men should be helped with ‘physical and emotional symptoms’ in the same way as women going through menopause.
Managers have been told to make considerations – such as providing portable fans and different uniforms – to alleviate their symptoms.
Affected men should be referred to occupational health services or even given longer periods of paid leave if symptoms become incompatible with work, some policies suggest.
Managers are advised to recognize symptoms, from hot flashes to emotional changes, as symptoms of male menopause or ‘andropause’, which affect men in their 40s and 50s
Campaigners said this was another example of the NHS ‘ignoring biological reality’ and moving away from evidence-based language.
Last night, NHS England denied this was national policy – with its own clinical website even suggesting it was not a clinical condition – but rather ‘an unhelpful term sometimes used in the media’.
It says: ‘This label is misleading because it suggests that the symptoms are due to a sudden drop in testosterone in middle age, similar to what happens during female menopause. This is not true.’
It comes as the East Midlands Ambulance Service is reportedly allowing men to take up to a year of paid leave due to menopause-like symptoms.
Tina Richardson, deputy director of human resources at East Midlands Ambulance Service, told the Telegraph that male staff could receive up to a year’s worth of sick pay for symptoms of andropause.
She says: ‘In addition to menopause guidance, we also support everyone within the organization who is directly or indirectly affected by andropause.
‘We offer sickness benefits for up to 12 months, based on the length of service. This supports absences that may be due to andropause symptoms or require time off for medical appointments.”
Elsewhere, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s ‘menopause policy and guidance’ states that menopause is ‘defined as a biological stage in the lives of both women and men’.
It states that all line managers should be prepared to discuss symptoms such as hot flashes, emotional changes, low energy, sexual functioning and even ‘swollen or tender breasts’ with men.
The policy aims to ‘promote an environment where colleagues can openly and comfortably engage in conversations or participate in discussions about menopause’.
It suggests that employees who feel ‘unsupported’ can speak to HR or a member of their union.
Male menopause, also called andropause, is characterized by a gradual change in testosterone levels.
As with women, the term is used to describe the period in an adult man’s life when his hormone levels drop, potentially causing symptoms such as erectile dysfunction, depression, anxiety and rapid fat gain.
But there is much debate within the medical community about whether this is recognized as a condition.
Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Teaching Hospitals also list male menopause as part of their menopause policy.
It says: ‘Employees should be encouraged to discuss the impact of their menopausal symptoms on their work and encourage them to take advantage of the support offered.
‘Managers must be ready and willing to have open discussions about menopause, value the personal nature of the conversation and treat the discussion sensitively, confidentially and professionally.’
Meanwhile, an NHS National Menopause Improvement Program offers ‘education packages’ for doctors.
Those who sign up can expect ‘a workforce support model that will be developed across the NHS and shared with other industries and sectors’.
Although the program is mainly aimed at women, it goes on to say that menopause will be experienced by ‘other colleagues, including trans and intersex people, but you may not hear from this group.’
It also cites East Midlands Ambulance Services’ andropause guidelines as a ‘case study of good practice’.
The trust appeared to backtrack on the policy yesterday, with a trust spokesperson stating that there is no separate or special leave policy in place to allow staff to take twelve months’ sick leave with full pay.
Helen Joyce, advocacy director at Sex Matters, said it is ‘believable’ that the NHS would adopt this policy
She said: ‘This is part of a general trend in HR to ignore or even deny biological reality.
‘Men do not experience menopause, and so this policy is both foolish and wasteful. When money is tight, it is best used to solve real problems, not made-up ones.”
Elaine Miller, women’s health campaigner and member of the Chartered of Physiotherapists, said: ‘If we want to have a healthcare service that is effective, we need evidence-based language.
‘There is no consensus among urologists that this really exists. So it seems really counterproductive for NHS trusts to manage resources on a condition that doesn’t exist.
‘It is dangerous and counterproductive for men’s health. They should focus on things that exist in middle age, such as cardiovascular health and men’s mental health. No made-up things.’
An NHS spokesperson said: ‘This is not national NHS policy.’