Testosterone is a naturally occurring hormone in women too — and women’s testosterone levels decline with age. Yet it is still too often treated as though it is simply a “male hormone”.

Menopause is about far more than hot flushes. Hormonal changes can affect mood, sleep, cognitive symptoms, sexual wellbeing, muscle strength, bone health, confidence, relationships and overall quality of life.

We have made significant progress in recognising and treating menopause. Women can now access effective forms of oestrogen and progesterone HRT, and NICE recognises that menopause can have a significant impact on quality of life, including sexual wellbeing.

But there is still a missing piece of the jigsaw: testosterone.

Testosterone plays a role in women’s sexual wellbeing, and for some postmenopausal women, persistent low sexual desire can remain despite adequate HRT.

NICE already recognises testosterone as a treatment option for menopausal women experiencing low sexual desire when HRT alone has not been effective.

Yet access remains deeply inconsistent: a postcode lottery in women’s healthcare.

There is currently no testosterone preparation licensed specifically for women in the UK. Instead, women — if they are fortunate enough to find a practitioner willing to prescribe it — may be prescribed products licensed for men, at much lower female doses, on an off-label basis. The British Menopause Society confirms that there are currently no testosterone products licensed for female use in the UK.

In reality, many women struggle to access testosterone through the NHS at all.

They may be told their GP does not prescribe it. They may need a referral to a specialist gynaecology or menopause service. Or they may feel they have no option but to pay privately for specialist menopause care.

For those referred into NHS services, waiting times can add another significant barrier. Across all incomplete NHS elective pathways, the median waiting time was 11.3 weeks, with 8% of patients waiting longer than 38.3 weeks in March 2026.

Women should not have to pay privately or potentially wait many months simply to access an evidence-based treatment that NICE already recognises as an option when clinically appropriate.

Two women with the same clinical need can receive completely different care simply because of where they live, which GP they see, or whether they can afford private healthcare.

This is about quality of life — not just libido

Low sexual desire is not trivial. It can affect intimacy, relationships, self-esteem, confidence and overall quality of life. For some women, it is a persistent and distressing consequence of menopause that does not improve sufficiently with HRT alone.

We are not calling for testosterone to be routinely prescribed to every woman going through menopause. We are calling for women who have persistent, distressing low sexual desire associated with menopause, where HRT alone has not been effective, to have fair and consistent NHS access to testosterone when clinically appropriate.

This is not about giving women unnecessary medication. It is about ensuring that women who may benefit from an established treatment option are able to access it fairly, safely and consistently.

Why should women have to fight for access?

Women should not have to:

• persuade an individual GP to prescribe treatment;
• find a practitioner who is willing to prescribe off-label;
• wait many weeks or months for specialist care;
• pay privately because NHS prescribing is unavailable locally;
• change GP or seek treatment in another area;
• be told that a treatment recognised by NICE is effectively unavailable to them.

The guidance exists.

The treatment exists.

The inequality exists.

 

We call on the UK Government, NHS England, the devolved NHS administrations, NICE and relevant medicines and prescribing bodies to:

• Ensure equitable NHS access to testosterone for women when clinically indicated and in accordance with NICE guidance.
• End the postcode lottery in access to testosterone treatment for menopausal women.
• Ensure GPs and other healthcare professionals receive clear, consistent guidance and education on the appropriate prescribing of testosterone for women.
• Support the availability and licensing of a testosterone preparation specifically intended for women in the UK.
• Ensure women are not routinely forced into private healthcare simply because appropriate NHS testosterone prescribing is unavailable locally.
• Recognise sexual wellbeing as a legitimate part of menopause care and ensure women experiencing clinically significant low sexual desire are treated with the same seriousness and dignity as other patients.

It is time to close the gap. The time for change is now.

Thank you for taking the time to read, sign and share. 

Instagram - @testosterone_4_women