London - Thousands of women should be prescribed testosterone on the NHS to boost their sex drive, according to a top doctor.
Regular doses of the hormone would be of ‘huge’ benefit to those going through the menopause, said women’s health expert Nick Panay, of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
As well as boosting their sex drive, he also believes the pills or patches would improve their mood, energy levels and strength.
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Pills of the hormone cost 30p a day while patches – similar to sticking plasters – cost less than £1.
Up to a third of women have low libido and it is particularly common after the menopause when levels of the sex hormones start to fall.
These include oestrogen as well as testosterone – which is usually considered to be the male sex hormone. But women also get small amounts of testosterone from their ovaries and adrenal glands and it is responsible for maintaining their libido as well as keeping the mind focused.
A growing number of doctors believe that the absence of this hormone contributes to many of the common menopause symptoms including hot flushes, weight gain and depression.
Mr Panay, a consultant gynaecologist at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, urged GPs at their annual conference in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, to prescribe women patches or pills.
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Mr Panay, one of the country’s leading experts on the menopause, said: ‘I strongly believe testosterone should be made available to all women who would benefit.
‘It’s not just about a lack of sex drive. I have patients who report huge increases in their mood, their energy, well-being, muscle strength and stamina. They go from feeling drained to being able to run marathons again. Women with low sexual desire who haven’t responded to normal hormone therapy will benefit hugely.’ The treatment has side-effects including acne, hair growth and – rarely – blood clots. But doctors say the dose in pills and patches is too low for women to start appearing more masculine.
Channa Jayasena, clinical senior lecturer in Endocrinology at Imperial College London and a hospital consultant, said he already prescribes patches to women with low libido.
Dr Jayasena said it didn’t work for all women, but some had seen huge benefits.Daily Mail