It has recently come to light through new studies that women who are taking medical supplements that contain combinations of hormones (usually male and female - primarily estrogen for the female), including testosterone, which is the main male hormone responsible for male features, for menopausal symptoms and a diminished libido estrogen face a much higher risk of breast cancer than with estrogen supplementation alone, than originally thought.

HRT, or as it is called in the medical field, Hormone Replacement Therapy for menpoausal women can help relieve the symptoms that are a real nuisance for women going through menopause such as hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, mood swings, foggy mind, and other side effects.

That is, until some time in 2002, a very large study had found an association with this artificial HRT and higher risks of breast cancer in women, as well as strokes and blood clots.  This prompted many women to stop taking the hormone therapy and many women’s doctors to keep their dosage as low as possible and to use the treatment for the least amount of time possible. 

This data all came on the heals of a study of 120,000 women in the “Nurses’ Health Study”, found that more than 800 women who had taken the estrogen/testosterone combination, which is targeted at boosting depressed mood and sex drive and helping strengthen bone density, faced an even higher risk of breast cancer. 

So, it’s looking like testosterone may be on its way out for women, or severely underprescribed from now on in the wake of these new health hazards.