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Testosterone therapy is not routinely recommended for postmenopausal women, in part because long-term safety data remain limited. It is, however, prescribed off label to help women suffering from low libido. A new study links testosterone therapy in postmenopausal women with a higher risk of incident cardiovascular disease. Results of the study were presented at the 2026 Annual Meeting of The Menopause Society in San Diego, Oct. 20–24, 2026.

To date, there is insufficient evidence suggesting that testosterone therapy is effective in managing many menopause symptoms such as fatigue, memory loss, weight gain or loss of bone density. However, it has proven effective in treating hypoactive sexual desire disorder, which has been estimated to affect about 10% to 15% of postmenopausal women and which is described as a persistent, distressing loss of interest in sex.

Currently, there are no FDA-approved testosterone products for women in the United States, so health care professionals who prescribe testosterone for women do so off label in very low doses of male formulations—usually in a cream or gel form.

Higher doses of testosterone have been shown to cause such problems as acne, increased facial hair, scalp hair thinning and a deepening of the voice. However, the cardiovascular safety of testosterone therapy in postmenopausal women remains poorly characterized.

A new study used data from the TriNetX US Collaborative Network and included more than 6,300 propensity-matched menopausal women.

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