Latest news with #womenHealth
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Why we need testosterone products designed for women
Menopause is something nearly every woman will go through. As fertility ends, levels of oestrogen and progesterone drop significantly – changes that can deeply affect physical health, emotional wellbeing and everyday life. For many, the effects of this hormonal shift are more than frustrating – they can be life altering. Symptoms like brain fog, hot flushes, night sweats, headaches, insomnia, fatigue, joint pain, low libido, anxiety, depression and even bone loss from osteoporosis are all common. Read more: Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has helped many women manage these symptoms – but one key hormone is often overlooked in both treatment and conversation: testosterone. Testosterone is typically viewed as a 'male hormone,' but it plays a crucial role in women's health too. In fact, women have higher levels of testosterone than either oestrogen or progesterone for most of their adult lives. And like the other sex hormones, testosterone also declines with age – with consequences that are only now being fully explored. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is now widely used to replace oestrogen and progesterone during and after menopause. These treatments – available as tablets, patches, gels and implants – are regulated, evidence-based and increasingly accessible through the NHS. But when it comes to testosterone, the situation is entirely different. Currently, there are no testosterone products licensed for use by women in the UK or Europe. The only exception is in Australia, where a testosterone cream specifically designed for women is available. Europe once had its own option – a transdermal patch called Intrinsa, designed and approved by regulators based on clinical evidence to treat low libido in women with surgically induced menopause. But the manufacturer withdrew product in 2012, citing 'commercial considerations' in their letter to the European Medicines Agency, the agency in charge of the evaluation and supervision of pharmaceutical products in Europe. Since then, women across Europe have been left without an approved option. In the absence of licensed treatments, some clinicians – mainly in private practice – are prescribing testosterone 'off label', often using products developed for men. These are typically gels or creams with dosages several times higher than most women need. While doctors may advise on how to adjust the dose, this kind of improvisation comes with risks: inaccurate dosing, inconsistent absorption and a lack of long-term safety data. Some women report significant improvements – not just in libido, but also in brain fog, mood, joint pain and energy levels. However, the only proven clinical benefit of testosterone in women is in improving sexual desire for those with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) following surgical menopause. Even so, interest is growing – fuelled by patient demand, celebrity use, social media buzz and a growing sense that testosterone may be a missing piece in midlife women's care. While there is increasing consensus that testosterone can play a role in supporting women's health, the current situation presents two serious problems: Safety and regulation: without licensed products, standardised dosing guidelines, or long-term safety data, off-label use puts both patients and clinicians in uncertain territory. Access and inequality: testosterone therapy is rarely available through the NHS and is often only accessible through private clinics, creating a two-tier system. Those who can pay hundreds of pounds for consultations and prescriptions can access care, while others are left behind. There are signs of change. For example, I founded Medherant, a University of Warwick spin-out company that is currently developing a testosterone patch designed specifically for women. It's in clinical trials and, if approved, could become the first licensed testosterone product for women in the UK in over a decade. It's a much-needed step – and one that could pave the way for further innovation and broader access. But the urgency remains. Millions of women are currently going without effective, evidence-based care. In the meantime, off-label prescribing should used with care and use based on the best available science – not hype or anecdote – and delivered through transparent, regulated healthcare channels. Women deserve more than workarounds. They deserve treatments that are developed for their bodies, rigorously tested, approved by regulators and accessible to all – not just the few who can afford private care. When half the population is affected, this isn't a niche issue. It's a priority. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. David Haddleton works for and owns shares in Medherant Ltd
Medscape
3 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
Botox Formulations Differ in Onset, Duration for Frown Lines
A randomized trial showed quantitative differences between four botulinum toxin A formulations among women treated for glabellar rhytids, with abobotulinum toxin A (ABoNT/A) and prabotulinum toxin A (PBoNT/A) having a faster onset of effect than onabotulinum toxin A (OBoNT/A) and incobotulinum toxin A (IBoNT/A), and PBoNT/A showing a significantly greater effect at 3 months. METHODOLOGY: In a single-center, double-blind randomized clinical trial, 143 women aged 30-65 years were randomly assigned 1:1:1:1 to OBoNT/A, ABoNT/A, PBoNT/A, or IBoNT/A at standard doses. Their mean age was 43.5 years; most participants (83.9%) were White, 4.9% were Black, and 4.2% were Asian. Participants were followed up at days 3, 30, 90, and 180. The primary outcome was glabellar strain, measured using dynamic three-dimensional photogrammetry. The secondary outcome was patient satisfaction, assessed with FACE-Q surveys. TAKEAWAY: Compared with OBoNT/A (48.0%) and IBoNT/A (40.3%), ABoNT/A (67.4%) and PBoNT/A (61.7%) showed a significantly faster onset, with strain reduction observed at day 3 ( P < .05 for all comparisons). PBoNT/A maintained a significantly higher strain reduction (20.5%) than OBoNT/A (0.5%; P = .03) at day 180. < .05 for all comparisons). PBoNT/A maintained a significantly higher strain reduction (20.5%) than OBoNT/A (0.5%; = .03) at day 180. Maximum treatment efficacy most frequently occurred at day 30, with an overall median efficacy of 88% in the total cohort and no significant difference between the treatments at day 30. Maximum efficacy was 89.3% in the OBoNT/A, 93% in the PBoNT/A, and 89.5% in the IBoNT/A groups. Increasing baseline glabellar strain severity resulted in proportionally greater improvement with treatment across all formulations. FACE-Q scores improved significantly from baseline across all groups by day 30, with most improvements lasting through 6 months and no significant differences between treatment groups. No adverse events were reported. IN PRACTICE: 'This randomized clinical trial demonstrated precise quantitative differences between 4 BoNT/A formulations in treating glabellar strain,' the study authors wrote, adding that the quantification of the effect of BoNT/A 'provides an objective foundation to guide individualized product selection and patient education.' SOURCE: The study was led by Mehdi S. Lemdani, BA, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and was published online on May 28 in JAMA Dermatology . LIMITATIONS: Limitations included reduced participant retention at the final visit and inclusion of only female participants. Differential dosing and treatment of adjoining regions were not examined. DISCLOSURES: The study was funded by Evolus. Lemdani and three other authors reported receiving grants from Evolus during this study. One author also received personal fees from AbbVie and Galderma.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Kamala Harris emerges in Australia with nonsensical babbling monologue
left an audience baffled as she laughed and talked about Playboy magazine covers during an appearance at the Australian Real Estate Conference in Queensland, Australia. The former vice president also launched into a confusing 'word salad' after being asked about the importance of humility. Her bizarre comments were made on Sunday during a question and answer session where she shared a 'funny' story about her mother. Harris sat on stage with real-estate industry veteran John McGrath for over an hour and recalled that her mother was very focused on women's reproductive health, which included sharing her thoughts about 'fibroids' and 'hormones.' She said: 'My mother was very funny because she would say, "You look at the cover of Playboy magazine, let me just tell you, the reason that people are looking at these things, understand they were developed for the perpetuation of the human species!" She was very practical that way.' As Harris began laughing, McGrath responded, 'A great lady,' before shifting immediately to another question. Harris also spoke at length about issues important to her, but lost her way when asked about humility. 'I don't aspire to be humble. And I don't recommend it, I think that one must be humble. But to aspire to be humble would be quite inauthentic. 'If one understands that, just, I mean, there's so much that is magnificent and awe-inspiring about this world and its people. 'And when you take the moment to just listen to an individual's story, whether it's someone you're sitting next to on the plane or standing in line with at the grocery store, there is so much about this world that we know and we don't know.' The former VP added: 'And that is very humbling to realize the dreams that people have, the struggles that they've overcome and the magnificence of that. To realize the beauty of the human spirit, that we are by nature, I think, as a species, we don't give up.' But Harris wasn't finished, emphasizing the importance of ambition outside of humility. 'Part of the key to our survival is that we are adaptable but we are also ambitious. I applaud ambition. I applaud ambition. 'I think it is a good thing, to reach, but not without also understanding that in so doing, one must do the hard work. One must understand the context in which they exist. One must be respectful. Harris also included throwbacks to famous word salads of her political career including a mention of being 'unburdened by what has been,' the importance of 'speaking truth' and being aware of the significance of the 'passage of time.' 'I think it's very important to understand that people who fight for equality, fight for freedom, they see what can be and are unburdened by what has been they believe in what is possible. 'So even though it may be characterized as a fight, it really is it should I think be thought of in the context of a fight for something as opposed to against something.' At one point the moderator said he believed her 'best work is ahead of you, for sure, 100 percent.' 'I am unemployed right now,' she said with a smile. 'Go on, let's speak truth.' When she was asked to give advice to young women in the real estate industry, she repeated her motto about not listening to people who tell them to wait their turn. 'I don't hear no. I eat no for breakfast,' she said.
Washington Post
5 days ago
- Health
- Washington Post
Cancer rates rose for women in some countries where extreme heat is rising, study says
As temperatures rose in Middle Eastern and North African countries over the last two decades, cancer mortality among women did too, according to a new study of a region that is particularly vulnerable to extreme heat. The preliminary findings, published Tuesday in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, contribute to a growing body of research on the health effects of temperature and climate change. The scientists looked at breast, ovarian, uterine and cervical cancers among women in 17 countries and discovered what they called a small but significant increase in cases and deaths. The correlation, the authors wrote, comes as climate change increases exposure to cancer risk through heightened ultraviolet radiation and air pollutants.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Australian women lagging on use of IUDs due to education ‘failure', experts say
Most Australian women don't know that intrauterine devices (IUDs) are the most effective form of contraception. Experts say this nationwide 'failure in public education' has contributed to low uptake and caused Australia to lag behind other western countries. The latest Jean Hailes National Women's Health Survey of 3,537 reproductive age women found more than 80% of 18 to 24-year-olds and 60% of 25 to 44-year-olds want to avoid getting pregnant. The survey found only 7% of women aged 18 to 24 and 11% of women aged 25 to 44 reported using an IUD. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email The CEO of Jean Hailes, Dr Sarah White, said the results show Australia is 'far behind' equivalent countries such as the UK, South Korea, France and the US. In Sweden and England rates of use are over 30%. IUDs are small devices implanted in the uterus. As a form of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), they are the most effective way to prevent pregnancy (over 99%). Contraceptive pills also have a rate of efficacy above 99% if taken correctly. But its effectiveness can be reduced if taken irregularly or absorption can be affected by diarrhoea and vomiting. When the survey tested women's knowledge on which methods were best at preventing pregnancy, the most common answer (32%) incorrectly identified condoms, while 27% said all are equally effective. Just one in four women (27%) correctly identified IUDs. Conducted online in mid-2024, the survey found three in 10 women aged 25 to 44 and 8% of women aged 18 to 24 said they'd had an unplanned pregnancy. White said 'most women are not aware that these long-acting, reversible contraceptives are actually the most effective form of contraception at a time when so many of them are saying it's really important for them not to become pregnant.' 'They're walking past one of the best options they've got because they just don't know about it.' Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion The lack of knowledge of the effectiveness of IUDs 'goes a long way to driving that low uptake,' White said. IUDs had other benefits, she said, including their convenience in not interrupting sex, easing period pain and being more cost effective over the long term than other forms of contraception. The leader of the Sphere Centre of Research Excellence in women's sexual and reproductive health in primary care, Prof Danielle Mazza, said not enough healthcare providers in Australia are trained in the insertion of IUDs, and may be less likely to emphasise the benefits. Sphere conducted the survey in collaboration with Jean Hailes. In its most recent budget, as part of the half a billion dollar package for women's health, the federal government increased payments to doctors and nurse practitioners to insert and remove IUDs. Eight centres will be set up to train healthcare professionals. White said access issues in rural and regional Australia might be alleviated if more women were considered using IUDs. IUD insertions by a private provider has higher upfront costs, White said, but that cost is 'well and truly recouped' compared with buying the pill or condoms over the long term. As several states have moved towards pharmacy prescribing the contraceptive pill, Mazza said it is important women are still being advised about all their contraceptive options, including LARCs, even though pharmacists can't provide them. White said some women are also concerned about the pain of insertion, in part fuelled by social media amplifying negative experiences. 'But in fact, there's a lot of people who really swear by having IUDs and love how convenient they are..' The chair of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' sexual reproductive health committee, Prof Kirsten Black, said in her experience patients will often say 'that's not nearly as bad as they thought' after the procedure. Black said it was surprising knowledge was so low in the survey, but added 'we have a real failure of public education in this area,' unlike in northern Europe. Black said she hopes the government incentives will improve the skills of primary care practitioners to provide IUDs.
