119: The Testosterone Access Gap No One's Talking About

We need to talk about the glaring inequity in Australian healthcare that's affecting millions of women. After 18 months on menopause hormone therapy, testosterone has transformed my life, restoring my vitality, sharpening my focus, lifting my mood, and reawakening my sexuality. Yet accessing this life-changing treatment reveals a troubling gender bias in our healthcare system.

While nine testosterone products for men are subsidised through the PBS, Androfeme - the only female-specific testosterone cream in Australia - remains unsubsidised, costing women over $100 per script. This forces many of us to use male-formulated alternatives that require daily careful self-measurement, an imprecise and frustrating workaround that no woman should have to endure.

The numbers are staggering: an estimated 1.34 million Australian midlife women experience Hypoactive Sexual Desire Dysfunction (HSDD), yet face significant barriers to diagnosis and treatment. 

Despite testosterone therapy being used safely and effectively for women since the 1940s, with Australian-made Androfemme recognised globally as a gold standard treatment, women continue to bear financial burdens that men don't face for essentially identical symptoms.

The solution is straightforward: include Androfemme on the PBS, just as other menopause treatments have recently been added.

Share this episode with friends, family, healthcare providers, and decision-makers. 

Together, we can amplify women's voices and demand the equal treatment we deserve. 

Women's health is not a luxury - it's time our healthcare system reflects that truth.

Links:

National Women's Health Advisory Council's Review

What is HSDD?

Australian Paper on HSDD

Testosterone has been treating women since 1940's

Testosterone for women: what you need to know

Thank you for listening to my show!

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Episode Transcript

Sonya (00:01):
Welcome to the Dear Menopause podcast.
I'm Sonya Lovell, your host Now.
I've been bringing youconversations with amazing
menopause experts for over twoyears now.
If you have missed any of thoseconversations, now's the time
to go back and listen, and youcan always share them with
anyone you think needs to hearthem.
This way, more people can findthese amazing conversations,

(00:25):
needs to hear them.
This way, more people can findthese amazing conversations.
Hello and welcome to this week'sepisode of Dear Menopause.
I am so glad that you are here,and today I have something a
little bit different for you.
I am recording a solo episode.
I don't do this very often it'sactually something that I'm not
super comfortable doing but Ihave been on my soapbox recently

(00:47):
and I decided that it was timethat I recorded a bit of a
podcast about it.
So today I'm going to talk toyou about something that's both
deeply personal and deeplypolitical Access to testosterone
therapy for women in Australia,and why I believe it's time to
change.

(01:07):
So when I first started takingmy menopause hormone therapy,
which is about 18 months ago now, one of the most significant
and transformative parts of mytreatment has been testosterone.
It has given me back a sense ofvitality.
It's absolutely improved myfocus.
It's definitely lifted my moodand, honestly, it helped

(01:28):
reawaken a part of me that Ithought was gone forever, and
that was my sex life.
But, like so many women acrossAustralia, I very quickly
discovered that accessing atestosterone product designed
specifically for women isanything but straightforward or,
more importantly, affordable.

(01:49):
Now I use testosterone everyday, but not the formulation
that is made specifically forwomen by an Australian company.
Why?
Because the only femalespecific testosterone cream,
which is called Androfeme, isexpensive.
It's not on the PBS, so it hasto come on a private script,

(02:13):
which means that it is over $100per script and it's simply not
sustainable long-term for manywomen, and that includes me.
So instead I use a productthat's designed for men.
It's financially accessiblebecause it's available on the
PBS, but using a male-formulatedproduct means that I have to

(02:37):
carefully apportion a dose everyday that's appropriate for my
female body.
Yep, every single time I use it, I have to self-measure how
much I'm applying.
It's not ideal and it's notwhat I would choose if cost
wasn't a factor, but it's thereality that many others face.

(02:58):
So, as I said at the beginning,this isn't just my personal
story.
This is a systemic issue,because let's talk about what's
really going on here.
This is a case of genderedinequity.
So the National Women's HealthAdvisory Council recently
reviewed what so many of usalready know, and that is that

(03:22):
sex and gender imbalances in ourhealthcare system are ongoing
and widespread, and testosteroneaccess is just one prime
example.
Let this sit with you for amoment.
Currently, there are ninetestosterone products for men
subsidized through the PBS Nine,and yet Androfem, the only

(03:46):
TGA-approved testosteronetherapy for women, remains
excluded.
The result it's a financialburden which is borne solely by
women.
It is, in my books, a textbookcase of gender bias in
healthcare policy.
Treatments for essentially thesame symptoms low libido and

(04:08):
related distress because theyare the only symptoms that
testosterone is approved to beprescribed to women for are
funded for men but not for women.
Honestly, the imbalance isindefensible and, frankly, it's
infuriating.
Indefensible and frankly, it'sinfuriating.

(04:32):
So let's talk for a moment whatI just mentioned there, which
was that low libido and relatedstress are the only conditions
that testosterone is approved tobe prescribed for.
It's actually a conditioncalled HSDD, and let's talk
about why it matters that womenwho do suffer from HSDD have
equitable access to testosterone.

(04:53):
So hypoactive sexual desiredysfunction is a diagnosable
medical condition.
It's marked by a persistentlylow libido that causes
significant personal distress,and it impacts far more than
just sex.
It affects a woman's overallwell-being, her mental health,

(05:17):
her relationships and herself-esteem.
So I did a bit of digging and,using data from an Australian
study on HSDD combined with somecurrent ABS statistics, I did
some math.
And the results an estimated1.34 million midlife Australian

(05:40):
women are currently experiencingsymptoms of HSDD.
But here's the thing Based onthe countless conversations I've
had with friends, podcastlisteners and clinicians, I
truly believe that the realnumber is even higher.
Study from 27,.

(06:02):
Sorry, the study from 2017reported 32.2% of midlife women
were affected, but today I wouldargue that that is much closer
to 50%.
And yet, despite these numbers,very few women ever receive a

(06:23):
formal diagnosis, let alonetreatment.
And why?
Because of stigma, because ofunder-recognition of the
condition and because of thesignificant cost barriers
standing in the way.
Testosterone therapy has beenused safely and effectively to

(06:43):
treat low libido in women sincethe 1940s, and Androfeme, which
is made right here in Australia,is globally recognized as a
gold standard productspecifically formulated for
women.
So why, in 2025, is Androfemestill not on the PBS?

(07:07):
Australian women are being leftbehind in our own backyard.
Now look, I'm not asking forspecial treatment.
I'm asking for equal treatment.
If testosterone is subsidizedfor men experiencing low libido,
even when it doesn't meet thestrict criteria of HSTD, then

(07:30):
women deserve the same supportfor the same issue.
Anything less is just anotherexample of outdated patriarchal
thinking that has played women'shealth for far too long Now.
I believe the solution here issimple.
The Australian government mustsupport the inclusion of

(07:53):
androfem on the PBS, the sameway that it has recently
supported the inclusion ofPrometrium and Estrogel, and
Estrogel Pro and also Slinder.
And when they support theinclusion of Androfeme, they
will remove the financialbarrier to treatment for
hundreds of thousands ofAustralian women, and they'll

(08:18):
also be supporting an Australiancompany that creates jobs and
manufactures locally.
They'll align our health policywith both evidence and
international progress.
And look, most importantly, itsends a really clear message
that women's sexual healthmatters and it's worth funding.
Women's health deservesequality.

(08:41):
Our well-being is not a luxury.
Treatment of testosterone haschanged my life for the better,
but accessing it shouldn'trequire a male-oriented
workaround.
I also want to touch, before Iwrap this up, on the fact that

(09:02):
testosterone for women can alsobe prescribed for many symptoms
of perimenopause and menopausethat go beyond low libido and
HSDD.
I mentioned right at the verybeginning that I have definitely
benefited from impacts to myvitality, my cognitive clarity.

(09:22):
I had a beautiful friendrecently say that it was like it
put the color back into herlife.
So, yes, testosterone isprescribed for HSDD, low libido
and sexual desire, but it canalso be prescribed for many

(09:43):
other symptoms and side effectsof perimenopause and menopause.
It's time for the PBS to catchup with the reality of women's
needs and to give us the equalaccess that we deserve.
Thank you so much for listening.
If this episode resonated withyou or if you want to be a part
of Pushing for Change, pleaseshare it with your friends, your

(10:04):
family, your doctors and yournetworks.
Let's make sure that women'svoices are heard.
Until next time, take care.