Tag: United States

In many prehistoric cultures, women assumed a particular cultural role. In gatherer-hunter societies, women were generally the gatherers of plant foods, small animal foods and fish, while men hunted meat from large animals.

In more recent history, the gender roles of women have changed greatly. Traditionally, middle class women were involved in domestic tasks emphasizing child care. For poorer women, especially working class women, although this often remained an ideal,[specify] economic necessity compelled them to seek employment outside the home. The occupations that were available to them were, however, lower in pay than those available to men.

As changes in the labor market for women came about, availability of employment changed from only “dirty”, long hour factory jobs to “cleaner”, more respectable office jobs where more education was demanded, women’s participation in the U.S. labor force rose from 6% in 1900 to 23% in 1923. These shifts in the labor force led to changes in the attitudes of women at work, allowing for the revolution which resulted in women becoming career and education oriented.

Movements advocate equality of opportunity for both sexes and equal rights irrespective of gender. Through a combination of economic changes and the efforts of the feminist movement,[specify] in recent decades women in most societies now have access to careers beyond the traditional homemaker.

Although a greater number of women are seeking higher education, salaries are often claimed to be less than those of men. CBS News claims that in the United States women who are ages 30 to 44 and hold a university degree make only 62 percent of what similarly qualified men do, a lower rate than in all but three of the 19 countries for which numbers are available. The nations with greater inequity in pay are Germany, New Zealand and Switzerland.[18] However, “A study of the gender wage gap conducted by economist June O’ Neill, former director of the Congressional Budget Office, found that women earn 98 percent of what men do when controlled for experience, education, and number of years on the job.”[19] A later CBS News article quoted a U.S. Department of Labor study which stated “This study leads to the unambiguous conclusion that the differences in the compensation of men and women are the result of a multitude of factors and that the raw wage gap should not be used as the basis to justify corrective action. Indeed, there may be nothing to correct. The differences in raw wages may be almost entirely the result of the individual choices being made by both male and female workers.”[20] In 2011, A Wall Street Journal article by Carrie Lukas stated that: “A study of single, childless urban workers between the ages of 22 and 30 found that women earned 8% more than men.

As men get older, they begin to notice all kinds of changes with their bodies. Many have gained a few extra pounds around their waist, they are fatigued, and their interest in sex takes a nosedive. In the past, all this was attributed to the natural aging process. However, recent studies have shown that every one of the above symptoms is an indicator of a clinical deficiency brought on by abnormal low levels of testosterone which is referred to as Aging Male Syndrome.

As men age, their testosterone levels do lower, this is a gradually process that takes several years. It does however result in male hypogonadism, which is called Andropause. Yes, this is male menopause. It is not a myth; it is a real health problem for many men over the age of 40.

Symptoms of Andropause include low energy, loss of sex drive, problems with memory, and depression. As Andropause progresses many men begin to have other health problems such as osteoporosis, ill health, dementia, heart problems, circulatory problems and falls. Circulatory problems can lead to or actually contribute to erectile dysfunction. If you look at women as they enter into menopause and what happens to their bodies with lower estrogen levels you should be able to comprehend that men with lower testosterone levels will have similar health problems.

It is believed that Aging Male Syndrome could be the missing or hidden link for mens overall health. It could be the contributing factor for several serious health conditions such as osteoporosis, depression, heart disease, and diabetes. Yes, every man as they age will begin to have lower testosterone levels, but many do not realize the difference between a natural decline and low testosterone levels. The low levels that are apparent with Aging Male Syndrome are real medical concerns for men.

In the United States, research on the effects of aging in males is way behind where it should be. This could be from the male ego that does not allow them to consider the fact that Andropause is in fact a real problem. The male ego keeps them thinking that all their problems, health and psychological, are just part of the normal aging process. Other countries have stepped up the pace and realized that both men and women go through an aging process that can lead to health problems and have done something to bring attention to the Aging Male Syndrome and Andropause. In Europe, the European Menopause Society recently changed their name to The European Menopause & Andropause Society. In Canada, they have an organization for men exclusively known as the Canadian Andropause Society. There are other organizations found in Australia and the United Kingdom, however, no such organization or society exist in the United States even though around ten million men in America are affected.

More should be done to give information to men across the country that their symptoms such as erectile dysfunction, tiredness, depression, weakness, and loss of sex drive could be due to low testosterone and could be treated.