Scientists have never really understood why the menopause occurs. It is an area of sexual health that has remained a mystery, as it is hard to understand why evolution – which is all about the reproduction of the species – should allow a gene to persist which causes females to lose their fertility halfway through their lives.
Many women struggle during the menopause, and find that their wellness and wellbeing is affected by a whole host of unpleasant symptoms, including mood swings and hot flushes. Scientists have, therefore, been keen to find out the reasons behind the menopause, to see if discovering the root cause of the menopause could help to make it more bearable for women.
In the past, two theories have been suggested as possible causes for the menopause. One is that people are able to survive longer because they are not fertile into old age. Another is something called the ‘grandmother effect’ where it is believed that women stop being fertile so that they can turn their attentions to helping to raise the young, i.e. their grandchildren.
Now a new theory has been suggested which claims that men may actually be the cause of the menopause. It is all in the name, after all!
The theory claims that the human race started off with women remaining fertile throughout their lives, but men preferred to mate with younger women. It is thought that some women had genetic mutations which led them to become infertile in mid-life, and that because men preferred to mate with younger women the gene mutations were allowed to persist, until it got to a point that all women became infertile in mid-life and experiencing the menopause.
Researchers made a computer programme to simulate evolution, and found that their theory about evolution worked consistently within the programme.
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