By Sarah Bolt, Forth

Following recent approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, testosterone is set to become much more widely available to women in the UK.

Offering greater access to testosterone treatment through their GP, the move marks a significant shift in how menopause symptoms are recognised and treated.

However, despite the increased access, many women are still in the dark about the role testosterone plays.

As conversations around women’s health continue to evolve, testosterone is becoming an increasingly important part of the menopause discussion.

Already licensed in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, the UK becomes among only a handful of countries making testosterone more accessible for women.

The development marks a significant step forward in recognising the full impact hormonal changes can have during midlife and menopause and the benefits that taking testosterone can have.

Testosterone is often misunderstood, and more closely associated with men, but it also plays a vital role in women’s health.

From energy levels and cognitive function to mood and libido, its influence on the body is far-reaching.

Here are the eight things women need to know about testosterone:

1. Testosterone is a vital female hormone

Testosterone is essential for women.

Produced naturally in the ovaries and adrenal glands it supports a wide range of functions in women including maintaining libido, energy levels, mood, concentration and overall wellbeing.

It also contributes to muscle strength and bone health, both of which become increasingly important during later life.

For many women, low testosterone can leave them feeling a bit out of sorts, impacting confidence, memory, motivation and other areas of life.

Because symptoms are often gradual these are often dismissed as part of ageing or the pressures of life and juggling everything that comes with it.

2. Testosterone levels decline with age

Like oestrogen and progesterone, testosterone levels naturally decline as women get older, particularly during perimenopause and menopause.

Our research found that testosterone levels in women decline by more than 51 per cent with age.

These changes can have a significant impact on daily life, affecting everything from relationships and self-esteem to work performance and sleep quality.

Despite this, many women are unaware that low testosterone may be contributing to how they feel.

3. Signs of low testosterone can vary

Low testosterone symptoms show up differently for everyone. This is why diagnosis and treatment can sometimes be overlooked.

Common symptoms include fatigue, low energy, hot flushes, night sweats, thinning hair, dry skin, muscle weakness, weight gain, mood swings and difficulty concentrating.

Some women may also experience reduced confidence, lower motivation or a loss of interest in sex.

Because many of these symptoms overlap with menopause itself, it is important that women have access to informed conversations and personalised medical advice to determine whether testosterone could help.

4. Testosterone supports more than libido

One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding testosterone is that it is only linked to sex drive.

While testosterone can help improve libido, its benefits extend much further, helping to regulate energy, motivation, emotional wellbeing, muscle strength, bone density and much more.

For some women, restoring testosterone levels can contribute to feeling more energised, confident and mentally sharp again.

5. Testosterone can support cognitive function

One of the main struggles with menopause is brain fog and difficulties with memory and concentration.

Taking testosterone can help protect brain health by supporting communication between brain cells and increasing blood flow.

As awareness around the cognitive impact of menopause continues to grow, testosterone is increasingly being recognised as a tool that helps women better manage these symptoms.

6. Testosterone does not make women masculine

Many concerns around testosterone come from the misconception that it will cause women to develop masculine features.

However, when prescribed appropriately at the right dosage by a qualified healthcare professional, this is unlikely.

The aim of testosterone for women is to help restore hormones to a healthy female range, supporting wellbeing and symptom management.

7. Testosterone is not linked to an increased risk of breast cancer

Another common myth is that testosterone increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer. Current evidence does not support this.

Testosterone does not stimulate breast tissue growth and studies have not shown an increased risk of breast cancer linked to testosterone therapy in women.

In fact, some research has suggested a lower occurrence of breast cancer among women taking testosterone, although more long-term research is still needed in this area.

8. The benefits of testosterone can take time

Testosterone therapy tends to work gradually.

Many women will start to notice improvements in mood, motivation and energy levels within the first few months with the full benefits building over time.

Because testosterone has a cumulative effect, consistent use and regular medical monitoring is important.

Patience is key and ongoing support from healthcare professionals can help ensure treatment remains safe and effective.

Despite growing awareness around hormone replacement therapy, testosterone remains one of the lesser understood hormones.

Our own research shows that testosterone levels in women decline by more than 51 per cent with age with a debilitating impact for many.

Knowledge is power and it’s really important that women are aware of the role testosterone plays in their health, particularly in midlife, so they can see their GP armed with the information they need.

Hormones will fluctuate but hormone mapping is a great place to start and will give women a greater insight into what is happening in their bodies.

It’s imperative that women are able to advocate for themselves and having this information is crucial for this.

Making testosterone more accessible in midlife gives women another treatment option to consider beyond HRT, helping them to manage menopausal symptoms and improve their overall quality of life.

Abdominal obesity may lead to worse menopause symptoms, including forgetfulness, irritability and night sweats, a new study suggests.

The findings point to a possible link between fat stored around the waist and more severe midlife symptoms.

Researchers said waist-to-height ratio could help identify women who may benefit from more targeted support.

Dr Monica Christmas is associate medical director for The Menopause Society.

Christmas said: “Unintended weight gain during the menopause transition, especially in the midsection, is one of the most commonly reported complaints, with the most significant gains experienced in the years leading up to the final menstrual period and a couple of years after.

“This not only affects self-image but also imposes negative health risks and, as the study highlights, is associated with higher prevalence and severity of menopause symptoms.”

The study used data from more than 1,100 women who took part in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation.

Abdominal obesity is a build-up of fat around the waist. It often includes visceral fat, which is deep, active fat surrounding internal organs.

This type of fat releases inflammatory proteins and toxic fatty acids that can contribute to insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and a higher risk of some cancers.

Insulin resistance means the body does not respond properly to insulin, the hormone that helps control blood sugar.

The Menopause Society said abdominal obesity is estimated to affect more than 60 per cent of menopausal women.

As oestrogen levels fall during menopause, women tend to store more fat around the waist rather than the hips, even if their overall weight does not change.

The researchers noted that obesity patterns and menopause symptom burden can vary by region, but research into the effect of abdominal obesity on these symptoms remains limited.

They also said earlier studies have mainly looked at single symptoms, rather than how symptoms connect with each other.

In this study, researchers used network analysis, a method that looks at how symptoms are linked, to compare symptom patterns in women with and without abdominal obesity.

They identified abdominal obesity using waist-to-height ratios, which compare waist size with height and can be used as a simple measure of health risk linked to body fat around the middle.

The researchers concluded that women with abdominal obesity had both a higher prevalence and greater severity of a range of symptoms, as well as a distinct symptom network structure.

In particular, women with abdominal obesity reported a higher prevalence and greater severity of dizziness, hot flashes and night sweats than women without abdominal obesity.

Sleep disturbances and palpitations were also reported more often in women with abdominal obesity. Palpitations are feelings of a fast, fluttering or pounding heartbeat.

The researchers said assessment of abdominal obesity using waist-to-height ratios may help stratify women who are likely to benefit from targeted, network-based interventions rather than isolated symptom management.

Christmas said: “Educating women early about healthy lifestyle interventions to prevent midlife weight gain is key to improving mental and physical well-being during a tumultuous time frame.”