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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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Prescribing of Testosterone for middle aged women out of control The Guardian

74 replies

Runskiyoga · 05/07/2024 21:09

Experts warn of long term health implications. As in prescribing being ahead of or outside the available evidence. I wonder if they know about the young women 😞www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/05/prescribing-of-testosterone-for-middle-aged-women-out-of-control?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

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Riva5784 · 06/07/2024 10:19

TheSh0ppingForecast · 06/07/2024 09:41

I sort of take your point but surely women also benefit from reviving a flagging sex drive? I feel sad about mine, not just for DH but for us as a couple.

Agree that more research generally into testosterone and other hormones for peri and menopausal women is needed.

Show quote history

Yes I agree that women benefit from increasing their sex drive. I was trying to say that there is a political angle to what research does and doesn't get funded.

UtilitarianNameChange · 06/07/2024 10:48

Can we have an actual clinical trial to find out if the benefits outweigh the risks then?

And if they do, a properly licensed product aimed at peri/meno women, that dispenses an appropriately sized daily dose?

I can totally imagine a scenario where someone doesn’t want to ‘waste’ a difficult-to-source medication that only comes in containers that technically overdose us but surely that’s a solvable problem?

It’s taken me 2 years just to get an NHS Estrogel/Utrogestan scripts mind you, so it’s hard to picture the prescribing of anything menopause related being ‘out of control’ 😬

LoremIpsumCici · 06/07/2024 10:53

Don’t matter if for fooling body it is male or improving sex drive or build muscle.
Bad juju to hormone dope (it is my belief)

One day science may know wtaf it is doing with hormones and my belief will change. Right now, everyone who takes them is a lab rat.

StickItInTheFamilyAlbum · 06/07/2024 10:54

Riva5784 · 06/07/2024 10:19

Yes I agree that women benefit from increasing their sex drive. I was trying to say that there is a political angle to what research does and doesn't get funded.

Show quote history

I'm not commenting on anyone's individual circumstances but Susan Bewley has argued that what many couples might benefit from is learning about one or more of the following:

changing relationship status (lots of issues come to the surface at menopause)
menopause impacts and how to deal with them (eg, vaginal atrophy, prolapse of various orifices, change of flora, greater fragility of tissues)
understanding of timing issues for one or other partner
better treatment of fatigue (various contributors, not least of which is being a sandwich generation)…

Runsyd · 06/07/2024 11:12

XChrome · 06/07/2024 04:22

Didn't do anything for my sex drive either, not that I care. Now that I'm single I'm glad to be rid of all that.

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Yes, a sex drive is vastly over-rated.

Theeyeballsinthesky · 06/07/2024 11:20

SD1978 · 06/07/2024 06:50

Can they not see the glaring issue, that if (as everyone has said) it's 'dangerous' for middle aged women to be using minute amounts topically, pumping it into young woman, should clearly fecking stop!

This!!! How come it’s some massive problem for Middle Aged women but for a confused 19 year old girl it’s somehow fine?

hoe do the guardian live with their endless cognitive dissonance

TheOGCCL · 06/07/2024 11:33

Some real irony there. But ultimately the same theme, insufficient research on female health.

Sex drive is the one thing testosterone hasn’t helped me with, possibly as I’m taking such a low dose (my GP actually suggested increasing my dose to see if that would make a difference). It’s everything else it’s helped me with: motivation, stamina, clarity of thought, muscle strength and tolerance for exercise. My levels were rock bottom and now they’re not, can it really just be psychosomatic?

LoremIpsumCici · 06/07/2024 11:55

Theeyeballsinthesky · 06/07/2024 11:20

This!!! How come it’s some massive problem for Middle Aged women but for a confused 19 year old girl it’s somehow fine?

hoe do the guardian live with their endless cognitive dissonance

Show quote history

Probably because middle aged women tend to pay more taxes than teenagers.
Got to make sure the cash cow is going to keep producing milk.

SierraSapphire · 06/07/2024 16:54

the dr said that she couldn’t prescribe it for whatever the ‘health’ reasons were but she could prescribe it to increase her sex drive…which struck me as not being ‘interested’ in the potential health benefits for the my friend but more the potential sex benefits for her male partner

Sometimes I wonder whether it's health professionals giving coded messages around "if you tell me that this is what you want it for then I can give it to you" because that's what's licensed. However, research does find a link between testosterone and endometrial cancer, probably because it converts to oestrogen.

Omlettes · 06/07/2024 17:03

The use and abuse of hormones in our society is utter madness for us and the rest of the species on this planet.
We still dont know how they work exactly but they work in minute doses in nature and in harmony.
Diet lifestyle ingested poisons plastics and herbs affect your hormone balance [of course] for good or ill. Most hormonal supplementation is in response to our own self poisoning and poor lifestyle, or societal conditioning rather than in anyway necessary.
Meanwhile we are pouring synthetic hormones into the water and land along with plastics and forever chemicals that are hormone disrupters, and for what?

So we can have all the other utterly pointless things advertisers and our gullibility convices us of?

TheSh0ppingForecast · 06/07/2024 17:13

Most hormonal supplementation is in response to our own self poisoning and poor lifestyle, or societal conditioning rather than in anyway necessary.

Umm...pretty sure my crippling monthly migraines are a result of changes in the levels of oestrogen and progesterone in my body due to reaching the end of my fertile years, not my "own self poisoning."

tackytriceratops · 07/07/2024 08:49

I had it before breast cancer diagnosis and had to come off everything, (though one consultant said it's how they used to treat bc?!)

It did work. I only needed a half dose. It went to high, libido was actually unpleasantly high and my hair fell out. (It did recover)

Women MUST be within female range and tested regularly.

However, I've since learnt about the impact of building lean muscle mass. Same consultant agreed that me doing this would impact my testosterone levels. And I do now feel the same confidence that I had while I was on testosterone, despite taking tamoxifen.

Lean muscle mass / resistance training and more protein and the right sort of carbs at the right time to help build muscles, is also thought to reduce hot sweats. I'm finding it does work for me.

Shortshriftandlethal · 07/07/2024 09:01

There seems something about the continued to attempt to erase women, erase being female, deny the differences betweeen the sexes, in so much at present.

Anonym00se · 07/07/2024 09:06

QueenBitch666 · 06/07/2024 01:56

Testosterone gel for 3 years here after hundreds spent on private conversations. It's done Fuck all for my sex drive. Lots of hormonal testosterone induced spots tho 😡

Same here. My T levels are three times higher than they should be, but I’ve still got zero libido or motivation. I am however growing a lovely beard on my belly and feel ravenous all the time.

tackytriceratops · 07/07/2024 09:56

When I was reading more about it and the tests I began to wonder if there isn't enough information about sex hormone binding globulin and how that interplays with everything. Progesterone I think reduces this, which oral utrogestan does. The reason I think I went to high from zero testosterone on tests is because I started continuous utrogestan at the same time.

TheSh0ppingForecast · 07/07/2024 10:00

tackytriceratops · 07/07/2024 08:49

I had it before breast cancer diagnosis and had to come off everything, (though one consultant said it's how they used to treat bc?!)

It did work. I only needed a half dose. It went to high, libido was actually unpleasantly high and my hair fell out. (It did recover)

Women MUST be within female range and tested regularly.

However, I've since learnt about the impact of building lean muscle mass. Same consultant agreed that me doing this would impact my testosterone levels. And I do now feel the same confidence that I had while I was on testosterone, despite taking tamoxifen.

Lean muscle mass / resistance training and more protein and the right sort of carbs at the right time to help build muscles, is also thought to reduce hot sweats. I'm finding it does work for me.

Interesting re muscle mass and protein- I'm going to read more on this, thank you!

Maddy70 · 07/07/2024 10:13

I don't live in the uk and testosterone and prescribed if necessary for menopausal women. With good results

Twoshoesnewshoes · 07/07/2024 10:23

SD1978 · 06/07/2024 06:50

Can they not see the glaring issue, that if (as everyone has said) it's 'dangerous' for middle aged women to be using minute amounts topically, pumping it into young woman, should clearly fecking stop!

Yes absolutely this- I wonder if the article is hoping to say this without saying it?

123letsblaze · 07/07/2024 10:45

I don't think it should be given to anyone, young or old unless it's known to be safe. Hair loss and spots just because it might make you fancy sex? No thanks. No one knows the long term effects of supplementation either. Isn't menopause just another stage of life, not an illness?

Ereshkigalangcleg · 07/07/2024 11:29

Is it just me that read the title of this as a discussion about a treatment for out of control middle aged women?
They’ve just had about enough of us!

I agree, it's hilarious. They'd better believe we're more out of control by the day

tackytriceratops · 07/07/2024 12:19

@TheSh0ppingForecast here's one study and there's a few others floating around

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344317191 Associationnof leannbody masssto menopausallsymptoms TheeStudy offWomen's HealthhAcross theeNation

Obviously being stronger also helps protect bone density, means less potential for balance issues and falls as we age, apparently also helps cognition too.

There's a few instagram / online women advocating for strength training post menopause; Dr Stacy Sims is the one who I learnt a lot from.

Theeyeballsinthesky · 07/07/2024 12:38

I use testosterone- had it prescribed privately as part of overall menopause hormone balance

they emphasised so strongly the importance of using a very small amount & the potential effects of using too much - hair loss, acne, deepening voice. Each little pack I have is meant to last 10 days.

BatshitCrazyWoman · 07/07/2024 12:44

blackandwhitestripes · 06/07/2024 00:06

I read once that women have more testosterone than men when pregnant? I may have that totally wrong but it's our bloody hormone too!!

Pre-menopausal women have more testosterone than oestrogen, and it's more active. For some women (I think it's 30%) testosterone added to HRT really helps them. It is a teeny, tiny dose (smaller than pea sized amount of the cream/gel, not like the picture!). This is all part of the negativity around women taking HRT, and it's appalling, imo.

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UtilitarianNameChange · 07/07/2024 13:20

tackytriceratops · 07/07/2024 12:19

@TheSh0ppingForecast here's one study and there's a few others floating around

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344317191 Associationnof leannbody masssto menopausallsymptoms TheeStudy offWomen's HealthhAcross theeNation

Obviously being stronger also helps protect bone density, means less potential for balance issues and falls as we age, apparently also helps cognition too.

There's a few instagram / online women advocating for strength training post menopause; Dr Stacy Sims is the one who I learnt a lot from.

I have no doubt that strength training is helpful but it’s really bloody hard to get started if one of your first/worst perimeno symptoms are joint related!

We really need to encourage younger women to start it preperi (preferably a lifelong habit) because maintaining strength/fitness is going to be a lot easier than starting from scratch when your body has already started struggling.

fabricstash · 07/07/2024 15:02

I take Androfemme (Australian testosterone) which has been tested as part of my hrt. Use a very very small amount. For me it got my brain completely back on track in a way oestrogen did not. I have to pay for it. When my mother was going through the menopause she had the option to work part time but I don't and I run a business and expected to be agile in my thinking!

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