Male Menopause: Concept Challenges and Coping Strategies (Published)

Men’s health is globally in crisis and worsening due to limited healthcare policies, and under-developed societal awareness and education. Men frequently realize reproductive health services as being meant for females because of this they do not see a place for themselves in those services. Male menopause, or more accurately, testosterone deficiency syndrome (TDS) is one of the new issues which can affect the quality of life in older men. It is a natural phenomenon that occurs with age in men and is diagnosed by clinical manifestation and a decrease in serum testosterone levels; it affects the performance of many systems of the body from the head to toe. Moreover, age-related comorbid diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, renal disease, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and some medications such as glucocorticoids, cigarettes and alcohol also contribute to the decline in testosterone levels. There are numerous challenges faced by men in Africa during the climacteric period and they are accentuated by several intermediating factors which range from ignorance, to cultural taboos and even lack of adequate facilities to cater for their health needs.  If these middle-aged men continue to experience the challenges of male menopause without effective coping strategies, their quality of life is at stake. This paper therefore stresses challenges of male menopause and recommends lifestyle changes, healthy emotion focused coping strategies and other relaxation techniques to improve the quality of life of elderly men experiencing male menopause.

Keywords: Challenges, Coping, Male, menopause

Ethno Veterinary Medicine Knowledge and Practices In and Around Gondar, Ethiopia (Published)

A cross sectional study was conducted from November, 2013 to April, 2014 in and around Gondar town, northern Gondar administrative zone of the Amhara region with the objective of documentation of ethno veterinary medicine knowledge and practices and identifying the challenges of the traditional medicine practice by using semi structured questionnaire survey and focal person discussion. The information was collected on 96 traditional veterinary medicine knowledgeable live stock owners, among those 90(93.8%) were males while 6(6.2%) were females and 60(62.5%) of them were above 50 age group level. During the study 68 traditionally used medicinal plants and 24 non plants traditional remedy materials were documented and also the study was indicate that 45 live stock diseases could be treated locally. Among the total respondents, 43(44.8%) of them were predominantly indicate veterinary clinic was the common animal health management. likewise from the main sources of traditional knowledge, family (44.8%) followed by friends (19.8%) were the most sources of indigenous knowledge. furthermore, study revealed that simple to practice (25%), cost affordability (20.8%) and easily availability of raw materials (16.7%) were the most factors that drive for the practice of traditional medicine. The survey were indicate that root parts (67.7%) followed by leaf parts (35.4%) of the medicinal plants were the main plant parts for remedy preparations again pounding and crushing(79.2%) were indicate as the common methods of traditional remedy preparation predominantly. Additionally this study revealed that liquid dosage form (54.2%) followed by an ointment (20.8%) were the most dosage form of traditional remedies with predominant administration of oral route (75%) followed by topical routes (22.9%). Regarding to challenges of traditional medicine practices the study indicated that imprecise dosage (62.5%) was the main challenge of traditional medicine practice. The study revealed that as there were no any medicinal plant conservation activity and official training. From the study, conservation and utilization of medicinal plants, encouragement and exploitation of indigenous knowledge rich persons and further pharmacological study of medicinal plants should be recommended.

Keywords: Challenges, Ethno Veterinary Medicine, Indigenous knowledge, medicinal plants