A NEW menopause policy has been adopted by Skipton Town Council, but one member has suggested it should be expanded to include men.

Councillor Robert Heseltine said there was evidence that men experienced 'manopause' following hormonal changes.

He told the full meeting of the council he had been listening to a programme on BBC Radio Four on the menopause and much of it had been on the male 'manopause' and its symptoms.

"Us men have similar problems, this is a serious issue," he told the meeting at the end of last week.

Cllr Peter Madeley suggested officers look into it and get some guidance.

The menopause policy, suggested by mayor councillor Claire Nash, is one of three new policies adopted by the council along with one for sexual and general harassment and another for treasury and investment.

By adopting the menopause policy, the council recognises that workers going through the menopause may need additional consideration, support and adjustments.

(Image: PA) A report to the council states: "The town council recognises that menopausal symptoms can also affect transgender people and non binary people. The council is committed to developing a workplace culture that supports workers experiencing the menopause for them to feel confident to raise issues about their symptoms and ask for reasonable adjustments at work."

With its sexual and general harassment policy, it recognises that harassment and victimisation is unlawful and will not be tolerated.

It recognises that personal harassment takes many forms ranging from 'tasteless jokes and abusive remarks' to bullying.

What is the 'male menopause'?

Recognised by the NHS as the "andropause", some men develop depression, loss of sex drive, erectile dysfunction, and other physical and emotional symptoms when they reach their late 40s to early 50s.

Other symptoms common in men this age are mood swings and irritability, loss of muscle mass and reduced ability to exercise, fat redistribution, such as developing a large belly or gynaecomastia, a general lack of enthusiasm or energy, difficulty sleeping (insomnia) or increased tiredness, poor concentration and short-term memory.

(Image: Pixabay) The NHS says: "Although testosterone levels fall as men age, the decline is steady at about 1% a year from around the age of 30 to 40, and this is unlikely to cause any problems in itself.

"A testosterone deficiency that develops later in life, also known as late-onset hypogonadism, can sometimes be responsible for these symptoms, but in many cases the symptoms are nothing to do with hormones."

In some cases, where lifestyle or psychological problems do not seem to be responsible, the symptoms of the "male menopause" may be the result of hypogonadism, where the testes produce few or no hormones.

A diagnosis of late-onset hypogonadism can usually be made based on your symptoms and the results of blood tests used to measure your testosterone levels.