Androgen Replacement Therapy and Women’s Health

Abstract

Although androgen replacement has been in use for several decades for various gynaecological disorders, it has had few adherents in women’s health because of misconceptions that it is unphysiobgical and a male hormone. The potential role of androgens in the pharmacological management of menopausal hormone deficiency states remains to be firmly defined, but there has recently been renewed interest in the addition of low-dose androgen to the traditional estrogen replacement therapy. This is a welcome development because not all menopausal symptoms are adequately controlled with estrogen or estrogen/progestin therapy. Weight gain, increase in body hair and slight enlargement of the clitoris constitute the most important side effects experienced by androgen users. The purpose of this review is to discuss the role of androgens as an adjuvant to estrogen/progestin replacement therapy with the hope that the clinician will evaluate its incorporation into menopausal women’s health care.