Hundreds of women are turning to testosterone to boost their libido and improve their sex lives.
Last week, Kate Winslet, 48, revealed on a podcast that she had started taking the male sex hormone and that it had revolutionised her sex life, making her “feel sexy again”.
When people think of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), they usually think of estrogen to treat menopause.
But Dr. Kanwal Bawa, a Florida-based sexual wellness physician nicknamed The Sex Fairy online, said Kate’s story is a familiar one, and that she has prescribed testosterone off-label to hundreds of women between the ages of 30 and 80 whose sex drive has plummeted.
While women naturally have lower levels of testosterone, levels of the hormone begin to decline in their bodies starting around age 30, which could lead to low libido and vaginal dryness.
Testosterone is FDA-approved for use in men with low testosterone levels, but it can be prescribed off-label to women in pill, gel, patch, or injection form to help mitigate the effects of falling levels as they age, including reviving their sex lives.
Kate Winslet has improved her sex life by undergoing testosterone replacement therapy and believes other women should do the same (pictured September 3)
Revealing that he used testosterone in the How to failKate Winslet said: ‘Sometimes women suffer a real drop in libido because there may be something wrong with their thyroid.
‘There could also be problems with your testosterone level.
Many people don’t know this, but women have testosterone in their bodies, and when it runs out (like eggs), it disappears.
“And once it’s gone, you have to replace it and that’s something that can be done and you’ll feel sexy again… I know.”
And the Titanic star isn’t the only leading lady who has spoken openly about using testosterone for her sex life.
In 2011, Jane Fonda, now 86, revealed that she had started taking the hormone at age 70, recounting The telegraph At the time: ‘I discovered testosterone about three years ago, which makes a huge difference if you want to remain sexual and your libido has dropped.’
Although testosterone is the male sex hormone, women also have small amounts of it produced in the ovaries and adrenal glands.
In women, the hormone increases sexual desire and energy and maintains muscle mass, but levels begin to decline after age 30.
Warning signs of low testosterone in women include decreased libido, lack of energy, vaginal dryness and fatigue, according to doctors.
Doctors diagnose low testosterone by testing the levels of the hormone in the blood.
Low testosterone levels are considered to be less than 1.5 picograms per milliliter (pg/mL) for women under 50 years of age and less than 1 pg/mL for women over 50 years of age.
And although testosterone levels generally decline with age, women with medical conditions that affect the ovaries and adrenal glands are more likely to have lower testosterone levels than others.
Dr Kanwal Bawa (pictured), known as Dr Sex Fairy on TikTok, says she has seen an increase in the number of women seeking testosterone replacement therapy (TRT)
Dr Bawa told DailyMail.com: ‘Approximately 25 to 30 per cent of women prescribed testosterone in my practice are under 40.
“Hundreds of people contact me all the time, many of whom end up becoming patients.”
She added: “We are doing women a disservice by not treating their testosterone levels more frequently because, as few people and even fewer doctors know, women generally have more testosterone than estrogen in their bodies.”
Additionally, some women going through menopause may be prescribed testosterone off-label.
While menopause itself does not cause a drop in testosterone levels, women going through this change may be prescribed the hormone to help counteract the symptoms of drastic fluctuations in the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone.
With a decrease in these levels, women may experience hot flashes, sleep problems, irritability and fatigue. However, studies suggest that testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) can help counteract these effects.
Most often, women use hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to counteract these effects, which involves using a patch, gel, or other method to add estrogen and progesterone to the body and artificially increase their levels.
Some doctors suggest that testosterone is typically only given to women who are already taking hormone replacement therapy.
To increase testosterone levels in women, Dr. Bawa prescribes TRT, which may include a cream that can be rubbed on the lips or a lozenge (or small hard tablet) that can be placed in the mouth and allowed to gradually dissolve.
Testosterone is technically a steroid and if abused can lead to rapid muscle gains. However, in smaller doses it can have therapeutic effects.
Testosterone can be supplemented with a gel that is rubbed on the lips of the vagina (pictured, stock image)
Other forms include testosterone injections, pills, or patches, which can also be used to increase levels.
Patients typically need to apply them once a day or once a week to boost testosterone levels, and Dr. Bawa says they may need a prescription for the rest of their lives.
The substances contain a very low amount of testosterone and nowhere near high enough levels to cause secondary masculine characteristics, such as a beard or deep voice, which Dr Bawa says are the main concern for some women.
However, the FDA has not recommended testosterone for women, which the Mayo Clinic says is due to a lack of research on its long-term safety.
Investigation Studies show that since 2009 the number of women receiving testosterone has decreased and that nearly half of women who receive a testosterone prescription do not seek refills.
The authors noted in the 2020 paper mentioned above, based on health insurance records, that this suggested testosterone therapy was either ineffective or its benefits did not outweigh the risks.
Side effects of TRT may include skin reactions (such as acne), breast enlargement and tenderness, and weight gain.
Dr. Bawa said that to avoid this, it is important to start patients on a very low dose and then gradually increase it until reaching a level where the patient gets the benefits without any unfavorable side effects.
TRT is not recommended for women who have had breast or uterine cancer (because studies suggest it may increase the risk of the cancer coming back) or for those who have heart, blood vessel, or liver disease.