Testosterone Cream for HRT

Women naturally produce estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. All three hormones are important for hormonal balance but tend to decrease with age and menopause. Testosterone cream can be useful in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for menopause.

Levels

• Testosterone levels start to decrease around age 40 and can drop by half if a woman has a hysterectomy that removes the ovaries.

Function

• Testosterone is an androgenic hormone that helps regulate energy levels and sex drive in women.

Significance

• Estrogen is essential to menopausal women to reduce symptoms such as night sweats and hot flashes. Estrogen levels decrease if testosterone levels are low because the body converts testosterone and another androgen, DHEA, into estrogen.

Types

• Testosterone cream can be synthetically created in a lab. Bioidentical testosterone cream is also available. Bioidentical hormones have the same genetic structure as naturally produced hormones and may be easier for the body to utilize.

Expert Insight

• A study conducted by Cedars-Sinai and presented at the 14th Annual Meeting of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) revealed that of the group of 447 women with menopause induced by surgical removal of the ovaries, the segment receiving 300 mcg daily of testosterone cream noticed an 81 percent increase in libido and sexual fulfillment. Lesser and higher doses caused no significant change from the placebo group.

Warning

• Women using testosterone cream should be checked at regular intervals to ensure they are not receiving too much testosterone.