Women's bodies produce two sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone, and men's bodies produce testosterone, which is also found in small amounts in women. As women and men get older, the level of sex hormones in the body drops. For women this leads to the menopause, usually in the mid to late 50s. The ending of monthly periods is a well known sign of the menopause. For men the decline in hormone level starts in the mid 20s and continues throughout life. It is not marked by any special event.

In women there can be unpleasant symptoms like night sweats, hot flushes, headaches, tiredness, loss of confidence, and others. It is easy to have the hormones raised, by taking them in tablet form, patches or implants. This has to be prescribed by a doctor, and there are side effects and risks, as well as great benefits. There are natural hormone replacements as well, and a herbalist or naturopath would advise you.

In men the picture is different. Lower levels of hormone can cause tiredness, reduced sex drive, reduction of erections, and other problems. Men sometimes mistakenly believe that by replacing testosterone, they will be restored. This is not correct, and taking testosterone in the wrong conditions is positively dangerous. Hormones for men are only given after checking the levels, and in particular cases.