Women pose as men to buy testosterone online after prescription difficulties

Some women in Wales are posing as men to buy testosterone from online pharmacies after struggling to obtain prescriptions through the NHS. Menopause specialist Dr Michelle Olver said referrals for post-menopausal women had risen sharply, but access differed between health boards.

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incredibly sad

Olver said she had seen women with hormone levels as high as 12 times the safe range after buying the drug online. Persistently high testosterone can cause permanent effects, including baldness, a deeper voice and an enlarged clitoris. She said women should remain within the female physiological range and receive proper counseling and monitoring.

Testosterone can help with reduced libido after menopause, although some women also say it improves their energy and cognition. Olver described it as “incredibly sad” that women were lying to obtain a drug they believed they needed. The Welsh government said, “All health boards are expected to provide individualised care.”

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denied access to something they need

Emma Thomas, co-founder of the Menopals Cardiff and Vale support group, said members often reported that their GP saw no need for testosterone or that their surgery would not prescribe it. Thomas said hormone replacement therapy improved her mood and outlook, and that testosterone later became “the final piece of the puzzle for me.” She said, “I feel like my old self - I've got a zest for life.”

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All health boards are expected to provide individualised care.

Other women described mixed experiences. Emma Jones said her energy increased within a week, but she also felt jittery and on edge. Specialists and patients stressed that testosterone was not a universal solution. One woman told BBC Wales that an NHS GP had prescribed it, but a new surgery in a neighboring health-board area refused to continue the prescription, leading her to pay for private care.

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I feel like my old self - I've got a zest for life.