Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al-Houthi: We find ourselves in the most sacred battle and the greatest position. We do not consider the sacrifices to be wasted losses; rather, we have given everything for the sake of this stance.
Al-Houthi: The Zionist scheme is undoubtedly a plot to enslave and exploit this nation. This is a fact, not an exaggeration.
Al-Houthi: Great sacrifice in the path of God only increases our steadfastness, determination, certainty, resilience, and cohesion.
Al-Houthi: The Zionist crime confirms the importance of Yemen's conscious and insightful position based on constants, values, and human ethics.
Al-Houthi: The Israeli enemy is a criminal who proves its brutality and monstrosity through all its criminal practices, void of any controls.
Al-Houthi: The Israeli enemy's record is one of terrible and horrific crimes, full of bloodshed against the Palestinian people and people in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Iran.
Al-Houthi: The crime of targeting ministers and civilian workers adds to the Israeli enemy's criminal record in the region.
Al-Houthi: All of the martyrs were ministers working in civilian fields.
Sayyed Abdul Malik al-Houthi: We extend our sincerest condolences to all the martyrs' families, their loved ones, their colleagues, and our dear people.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: An Israeli drone targeted a residential apartment in the al-Natour Square in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City

Prescribing of testosterone for UK middle-aged women ’out of control’

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 6 Jul 2024 09:11
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

Experts are concerned about "testosterone evangelists" on social media, including some celebrities and GPs, who promote the hormone as a remedy for fatigue and low energy.

Listen
  • x
  • There are severe shortages of some HRT drugs across the UK, including oestrogen gels such as Oestrogel (Besins Healthcare)
    There are severe shortages of some HRT drugs across the UK, including estrogen gels such as Oestrogel. (Besins Healthcare)

Experts have warned that the prescribing of testosterone for middle-aged women in the UK is "out of control" and could have long-term health implications.

They are particularly concerned about "testosterone evangelists" on social media, including some celebrities and GPs, who promote the hormone as a remedy for fatigue and low energy, and as protection for the heart, brain, muscles, and bones. However, experts assert that the evidence only supports its use in postmenopausal women with low libido, and only after psychosocial causes have been ruled out.

“I genuinely think testosterone prescribing is completely out of control in the UK,” said Dr Paula Briggs, a consultant in sexual and reproductive health at Liverpool Women’s Hospital and chair of the British Menopause Society.

“People are being led to believe that they must have this. But we have no idea what long-term testosterone supplementation does to women.”

Role of Testosterone in Women

Testosterone, primarily known as a male hormone, is also produced in the ovaries and female adrenal glands, playing a crucial role in female sexual development and maintenance. Levels peak in a woman’s 20s and 30s before declining, influenced by reduced production from the ovaries and adrenal glands, as well as by stress, surgical interventions, and certain medications or cancer treatments.

In the UK, NICE guidelines suggest considering testosterone supplementation for menopausal women with low sexual desire if standard hormone replacement therapies are ineffective. However, the British Menopause Society advises this approach only after ruling out other potential causes such as psychological factors or medications. Nonetheless, some private doctors reportedly prescribe testosterone as an initial treatment for libido issues and other symptoms.

Dr. Louise Newson, a GP specializing in menopause with private practices in the UK, has argued for women’s access to testosterone, citing its potential benefits for mood, energy, concentration, stamina, bone density, and overall muscular and cardiovascular health. She advocates for integrating testosterone alongside hormone replacement therapy early in treatment for women experiencing symptoms related to testosterone deficiency during perimenopause.

Newson also stresses that testosterone’s impact extends beyond libido enhancement, highlighting its significant role in brain function and processing.

Side effects and risks

Professor Annice Mukherjee, a consultant endocrinologist at Spire Manchester Hospital and a media ambassador for the Society for Endocrinology, stated that she had seen patients experiencing unpleasant side effects after being prescribed testosterone.

“Women come to me saying: ‘My hair’s falling out’ or ‘My voice has got deeper, and I’ve got new acne or hair growth on my body, why is that?’ So, I measure their testosterone, and it is sometimes equivalent to a man’s level,” she said.

One of her patients was a professional singer who had been prescribed testosterone by a private clinic. “Her doctor had said: ‘You need HRT, and by the way, you also need testosterone.’ She came to me because she was experiencing problems with her voice. When I tested her testosterone levels, they were more than double what is normal for a woman,” Mukherjee said.

“If we give women too much testosterone, it can affect their vocal cords. If you don’t mind your voice deepening a bit, that’s fine, but if you’re a singer, it can change your pitch.”

Safety concerns 

Briggs and Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director of the North American Menopause Society and director of the Mayo Clinic’s Women’s Health Research Center in the US, are also concerned about the lack of long-term safety data for testosterone use in women.

“There’s a reason that we should be concerned about long-term safety, and that’s because we don’t have any data to say that it is safe,” said Faubion. “We don’t have data to say that it’s unsafe either. But the lack of data proving safety is a real problem.”

Newson stated that long-term use of safely prescribed testosterone replacement was unlikely to be associated with any adverse health risks, “due to it being a natural hormone”.

  • Testosterone
  • Hormones
  • Britain
  • Women
  • United Kingdom

Most Read

Fierce resistance ambushes target IOF in Gaza Strip

Fierce resistance ambushes target IOF in al-Zaytoun, Gaza City

  • Politics
  • 30 Aug 2025
Tom Barrack's imperial tantrum in Beirut: When entitlement speaks (Photo by Mahdi Rtail)

Tom Barrack's imperial tantrum in Beirut: When entitlement speaks

  • Politics
  • 26 Aug 2025
Although it does seem likely they will launch some kind of operation in northern Gaza, one which will accelerate its mass murder of civilians, but will fail to achieve its stated objectives. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Here is why the Israeli occupation of Gaza won’t work

  • Opinion
  • 26 Aug 2025
A scene showing an al-Qassam Brigades fighter during an ambush on July 7, 2025, in a video released by the al-Qassam Brigades on August 26, 2025 (al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

Al-Qassam reveals Beit Hanoun ambush targeting Israeli forces

  • Politics
  • 26 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Indonesia president says some protests 'leaning towards treason'
Politics

Indonesia president says some protests 'leaning towards treason'

Photo from the United 4 Gaza protest in Frankfurt Germany on August 30, 2025 (@theLeanderthal on X)
Politics

Over 10,000 join pro-Palestine protest in Frankfurt, Germany

NATO became tool of US expansion: US economist
US & Canada

NATO became tool of US expansion, says US economist

An Israeli soldier walks on a road following a military raid in the West Bank village of Al-Mughayyir, on August 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)
Politics

New illegal Israeli settlement established near al-Khalil

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS