Testosterone scripts for women rise, along with denials and delays

Women increasingly turning to testosterone therapy to manage menopause symptoms are running into unexpected prescription delays and denials at pharmacies, according to interviews with more than half a dozen doctors, nurses and patients. There is no U.S.-approved testosterone product for ​women, although its off-label use is on the rise, primarily to treat persistently low sexual desire related to menopause, the only condition for which medical guidelines and evidence of efficacy currently ‌exist. Some clinicians are also prescribing it for menopause-related symptoms such as fatigue and loss of muscle strength, despite a lack of medical guidance for that use. The Menopause Society and half a dozen other medical organizations only back testosterone use for hypoactive sexual desire disorder in menopausal women. “We do not have any evidence in women that it will improve muscle mass or bone density or mood or well-being or really any other metric,” said Dr.