When women ask their doctors about taking testosterone to help with menopause symptoms, they can run into insurance rejections, confusing workarounds and dosing guesswork, as no testosterone product is FDA-approved for women in the U.S.On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) convened a public workshop to examine the evidence, safety and research gaps surrounding testosterone therapy for menopausal women.Interest in testosterone therapy has grown as more women seek treatment for symptoms such as low sexual desire, fatigue and reduced quality of life during menopause — yet the lack of an FDA-approved product has left physicians relying on off-label prescribing and compounded formulations.MELINDA FRENCH GATES SAYS IT TOOK 3 DOCTORS TO DIAGNOSE THE CONDITION SHE WAS SUFFERING FROMDr.Kudzai Dombo, a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist, Menopause Society-certified practitioner, and prescribing physician at Alloy Health, said she sees this dynamic playing out daily in her own Los Angeles practice.Interest in testosterone therapy has grown as more women seek treatment for symptoms such as low sexual desire, fatigue and reduced quality of life during menopause, doctors say.
(iStock)Once patients get settled on standard estrogen and progesterone regimens, "The immediate next question is, do I need testosterone?" Dombo told Fox News Digital.Although women may hear about a wide range of potential benefits on social media and from friends, current evidence-based guidelines support testosterone therapy for only one indication: hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), or persistently low sexual desire.CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APPClinical evidence supporting its use for energy, mood, bone health or sleep remains limited — though many patients are eager to try it for those secondary benefits, according to Dombo.The absence of FDA-approved female testosterone products forces patients to rely on compounded creams, over-the-counter purchases abroad or...