Do Men Have a Menstrual Cycle?

No—but men do experience hormonal changes that affect how they feel.
A menstrual cycle has specific biological features: ovulation, cyclic estrogen and progesterone changes, preparation of the uterine lining, and menstruation if pregnancy doesn't occur. People with testes don't experience these events.
However, testosterone and other hormones do fluctuate, and those fluctuations can influence mood, energy, libido, and well-being.

What Exactly Is a Menstrual Cycle?

Many people don't actually know what a menstrual cycle is. It's not just bleeding. Menstruation is one part of a much larger reproductive cycle.
A period isn't the menstrual cycle—it's the final chapter of a cycle that began weeks earlier with changing hormones and ovulation.
The menstrual cycle involves a predictable, roughly monthly pattern of rising and falling estrogen and progesterone. These hormones prepare the uterine lining for a potential pregnancy. If pregnancy doesn't occur, that lining is shed—that's menstruation.
This is a monthly biological rhythm that is deeply embedded in the reproductive biology of people with ovaries. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end. And it repeats, month after month, for decades.
Men don't have this.

 

Why Testosterone Doesn't Follow a Monthly Cycle

This is where the science gets interesting. Healthy adult testosterone follows a circadian (daily) rhythm, not a monthly one. Levels are typically highest in the early morning—between approximately 7 a.m. and 10 a.m.—and gradually decline throughout the day. In younger men, this daily rhythm is more pronounced; it becomes less distinct with age.
Research has documented that plasma testosterone shows significant diurnal variation, with levels peaking in the morning and reaching their lowest point in the evening. One study found a minimum fall of 43% in total testosterone from peak to nadir. The free testosterone index follows a similar circadian rhythm.
That is one of the strongest hormonal rhythms supported by research.
But a daily rhythm is not a monthly rhythm. Testosterone doesn't follow a 28-day cycle the way estrogen and progesterone do in people with ovaries.

 

Why Some Men Feel Like They Have a "Monthly Cycle"

Humans are very good at recognizing patterns. Mood changes can be influenced by sleep, stress, illness, workload, alcohol, physical activity, and relationship stress—and these don't necessarily repeat every 28 days.
Some men notice that they feel more irritable, tired, or low at certain times. They might wonder if they have a "cycle" too. The desire to find a pattern is understandable. We're pattern-seeking creatures.
But the research doesn't support a reliable monthly hormonal cycle in men. A 2009 study observed 66 men between the ages of 30 and 80, taking blood samples at different times, and found no evidence that testosterone levels change in a cyclical way like estrogen and progesterone do. Testosterone levels fluctuate slightly throughout the day, but they remain stable on a monthly basis.
One study did observe a 28-day monthly interval coinciding with testosterone peaks in paired men who reported a current wish for children—but not in unpaired men or those who didn't wish to have children with their current partner. This suggests that if a monthly pattern exists, it may be context-dependent rather than a universal biological rhythm.

 

What Is Irritable Male Syndrome (IMS)?

"Irritable Male Syndrome" is a term proposed to describe mood changes, irritability, frustration, fatigue, and reduced libido that may be associated with hormonal changes—particularly declining testosterone. It has been described as a behavioural state of nervousness, irritability, lethargy and depression that occurs in adult male mammals following withdrawal of testosterone.
However, IMS is not an officially recognized medical diagnosis. Healthline notes that there is no medical evidence of IMS. The term was popularized by Jed Diamond, who identified four common triggers: fluctuating testosterone levels, biochemical imbalances, loss of masculine identity, and stress. Research suggests it affects up to 30 percent of males, especially those in adolescence and midlife.
Other factors that may also contribute to mood changes in men include high estrogen levels and everyday stressors. Importantly, research has shown that menstruation doesn't affect male testosterone levels in any significant way.

 

Can Testosterone Fluctuate?

Yes—and in many ways. Testosterone levels aren't static. They change due to aging, obesity, chronic illness, sleep deprivation, overtraining, acute stress, medications, and alcohol use. Genetic influences account for a significant proportion of the variance in average testosterone levels, while environmental factors account for the majority of intra-individual variability.
The Merck Manual confirms that testosterone levels are highest in the early morning and lowest during the evening hours—though in older males, this diurnal pattern may be blunted. This is why doctors recommend getting your blood test for testosterone before 10 a.m..

 

What Does a Typical Day of Testosterone Feel Like?

In the morning, when testosterone is higher, many men report higher energy, stronger libido, and increased motivation. In the evening, when levels are lower, that drive is less pronounced.
But individual differences are large, so not everyone notices this. Some men are highly sensitive to these daily fluctuations; others barely register them.

 

Why Some Men Notice Changes During Their Partner's Pregnancy

This is fascinating and real.
Research has found that expectant fathers may experience hormonal changes, including modest reductions in testosterone and changes in prolactin and cortisol. Scientists think these changes may help support caregiving behavior.
One study found that testosterone dropped by 33% just after the baby's birth. Men who had larger shifts in prolactin and testosterone reported more pregnancy symptoms and were more responsive to infant stimuli. Both men and women had significantly higher prolactin and cortisol concentrations before the birth, and lower sex steroid concentrations immediately after.
These hormonal changes are real, and they serve a purpose. They help prepare fathers for caregiving. But they are not a menstrual cycle. They are a response to a specific life event—becoming a parent.

 

Can Men Experience Hormonal Changes Similar to Menopause?

Age-related testosterone decline is real, but it's not equivalent to menopause.
The term "male menopause" has been used to describe decreasing testosterone levels related to aging. Men's testosterone levels generally fall about 1% a year after age 40. But unlike menopause, when hormone production stops completely, the decline in testosterone is gradual and slow.
Female menopause is a relatively abrupt shift in ovarian function. Testosterone declines more slowly in males, often cited at approximately 1% to 2% per year. Most older men still have testosterone levels within the standard range.
The comparison is rather lame and differs from female menopause in several respects. It's not a sudden drop. It's a slow, decades-long decline that affects men differently.

 

What About the So-Called "Male Period"?

The phrase "male period" is a popular expression. It is not a medical term. Some people use it to describe temporary mood changes. It should not be confused with menstruation.
Men don't menstruate. They don't have a uterine lining to shed. They don't have the same cyclic hormonal pattern that drives menstruation in people with ovaries.

 

Why Scientists Haven't Found a Reliable Monthly Male Cycle

Researchers have looked for predictable monthly testosterone rhythms. Some small studies have reported fluctuations. However, findings have been inconsistent, and no reproducible, clinically meaningful monthly hormonal cycle equivalent to the menstrual cycle has been established in healthy men.
Testosterone shows a daily rhythm. There may be seasonal variations. But a reliable monthly cycle? The evidence just isn't there.
One reason is that the male reproductive system doesn't need a monthly cycle. The menstrual cycle serves a specific biological function: preparing the body for pregnancy. People with testes don't need that. Their hormonal system operates on a different schedule—daily, not monthly.

 

So... Do Men Have a Menstrual Cycle?

No. Men do not have menstrual cycles. They do experience hormonal fluctuations. Those fluctuations are real. But they don't follow the same biology or the same predictable monthly pattern as the menstrual cycle.
Hormones influence everyone, but they don't all tell the same story. A menstrual cycle is one biological rhythm. Testosterone follows another. Understanding the difference helps explain why two bodies can both be hormone-driven while working in completely different ways.
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Summary

Men do not have menstrual cycles, but they do experience real hormonal fluctuations that affect mood, energy, and well-being. Unlike the predictable 28-day cycle of estrogen and progesterone in people with ovaries, testosterone follows a daily (circadian) rhythm—peaking in the morning and declining throughout the day. This daily rhythm is well-established in research, with a minimum fall of 43% in total testosterone from peak to nadir. There is no scientific evidence for a reliable monthly hormonal cycle in healthy men. Some men may notice mood changes they associate with a "cycle," but these are more likely linked to stress, sleep, illness, or other environmental factors rather than a hormonal rhythm. The term "Irritable Male Syndrome" has been proposed to describe mood changes associated with declining testosterone, but it is not an officially recognized medical diagnosis. Age-related testosterone decline is gradual—about 1% per year after age 40—and is not equivalent to female menopause. Expectant fathers may experience hormonal changes, including reduced testosterone and increased prolactin, which appear to support caregiving behavior.
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Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. If you are experiencing persistent mood changes, fatigue, low libido, or other concerning symptoms, please consult a qualified healthcare provider.

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References

• Piro C, et al. Circadian rhythm of plasma testosterone, cortisol and gonadotropins in normal male subjects. — Testosterone peaks at 8 a.m. and reaches its lowest point at 10 p.m.
• Diurnal rhythms of serum total, free and bioavailable testosterone and of SHBG in middle-aged men compared with those in young men. PubMed. — Both young and middle-aged men displayed a significant diurnal rhythm, with a minimum fall of 43% in total testosterone from peak to nadir
• Daily variations of plasma sex hormone-binding globulin binding capacity, testosterone and luteinizing hormone concentrations in healthy rested adult males. PubMed. — Testosterone shows a circadian rhythm with acrophase at 7:02 a.m.
• The irritable male syndrome. PubMed. — A behavioural state of nervousness, irritability, lethargy and depression occurring in adult male mammals following withdrawal of testosterone
• Healthline. Do Cis Men Have Periods? The Truth About Irritable Male Syndrome. — No medical evidence of IMS
• Hidden Patterns of Male Sex Hormones and Behaviour Vary with Life History. — 28-day monthly interval coincided with testosterone peaks in prospective fathers but not in unpaired men
• Do (cis) men get periods? What is male PMS? Give Legacy. — No evidence testosterone changes in a cyclical way
• Merck Manual Professional Edition. — Testosterone levels highest in early morning and lowest in evening; diurnal pattern may be blunted in older males
• Hormonal indicators of paternal care in humans: a longitudinal study of first-time parents. — Men in the pregnant group had changes in baseline prolactin
• Hormonal correlates of paternal responsiveness in new and expectant fathers. PubMed. — Higher prolactin levels and greater post-test reduction in testosterone in men with more pregnancy symptoms
• Mayo Clinic. Male menopause: Myth or reality? — Testosterone falls about 1% a year after age 40
• Healthgrades. What to Know About Male Menopause. — Andropause tends to be more gradual; testosterone drops slowly