Why Testosterone Is So Important for Women During Menopause | Brief

Your headline (‘Frightening How Easily Women Can Get Testosterone, Doctors Say, July 5) is embarrassing and discouraging to menopausal women. Testosterone is an essential female hormoneand we should not be ashamed to ask for it to be topped up. Women are turning to private prescriptions because they are not getting help from the NHS, and the majority of GPs are not properly trained by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines about testosterone replacement during menopause.

Also the suggestion that many women use it “as an anabolic steroid, like it is used for doping in sports” is completely unproven. What we do know from a 2022 review is testosterone important for vulvovaginal and urethral health, and sexual function. Also low testosterone in older women correlates with low bone density.
Kate Muir
Author, Everything You Need to Know About Menopause