Hormone Therapy Specialist

What is hormone therapy?

Hormone therapy is a treatment that can help both men and women who are experiencing sexual health problems due to low hormone levels. Hormones are chemicals that various glands and organs around your body produce. They are messengers that control vital functions such as metabolism, reproduction, and growth and development.

The hormones responsible for sexual functioning are:

Estrogen and progesterone

These are the female sex hormones. They regulate fertility, reproduction, and the menstrual cycle, and play a key role in influencing your sex drive (libido). When you’re approaching menopause, levels of estrogen and progesterone decrease significantly.

Testosterone

Testosterone is the sex hormone that causes adult male physical features to develop at puberty. It helps in maintaining strength and muscle mass, gives men their deeper voice, and is responsible for the growth of facial and body hair. If you’re a man, you also need testosterone to make sperm.

Women need testosterone too, although at lower levels than men. They need it to produce estrogen, and it has an impact on sexual desire. Testosterone levels decline in women after menopause and contribute to a reduction of arousal and sexual response.

When would a woman need hormone therapy?

You might need hormone therapy if your estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone levels fall too low. Women experience a significant drop in hormone levels at menopause when their periods stop, and they can no longer have children. Menopause can cause distressing symptoms such as:

• Hot flashes
• Palpitations
• Sweating
• Vaginal dryness
• Memory loss
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Low sex drive
• Depression
• Painful sex

Low testosterone in women can result in a loss of muscle tissue and bone density as well as a drop in sexual desire. Testosterone also plays an important role in combating age-related conditions like cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.

When would men need hormone therapy?

Some men have testosterone levels that are too low - a condition called hypogonadism or low-T. Men can also be affected by a gradual decline in testosterone levels as they age, a condition known as andropause or male menopause.

Low testosterone levels can cause symptoms such as:

• Irritable male syndrome
• Weight gain
• Sleep apnea
• Memory loss
• Lowered libido
• Hair loss
• Erectile dysfunction
• Hot flashes
• Muscle loss
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Night sweats
• Gynecomastia (male breasts)

From your early thirties, testosterone levels naturally start to fall by up to 2% each year. As many as five million men in the United States experience symptoms of low testosterone, but very few get medical help.

The Center for Female and Male Sexual Medicine is the best place to go if you’re experiencing sexual health problems. The practice specializes in helping people with sexual dysfunction in all its forms and provides expert hormone therapy treatment that can effectively resolve your symptoms.

How do I take hormone therapy?

Before starting on hormone therapy, you need to undergo testing at the Center for Female and Male Sexual Medicine to determine which hormones are responsible for your symptoms.

It’s also important for your provider to ensure you’re a suitable candidate for hormone therapy. Some people have an increased risk of side effects from taking supplemental hormones; for example, if you’ve had a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), estrogen replacement might not be suitable.

Hormone therapy comes in different forms to suit varying needs. Women taking hormone therapy can use a:

• Daily oral medication
• Hormone patch
• Cream
• Spray
• Gel
• Slow-release pellet implanted under the skin

There are also vaginal creams and pills for women whose symptoms are chiefly affecting their vaginal health.

Testosterone supplements come as:

• Creams
• Gels
• Mouth patches
• Skin patches
• Injections
• Slow-release pellet implants

Oral testosterone isn’t typically used due to the increased risk of side effects.

With any form of hormone therapy, it’s important to attend regular reviews at the Center for Female and Male Sexual Medicine. Your provider needs to monitor your health and check for any side effects, such as excess hair growth or acne when taking testosterone replacement therapy.

Find out if hormone therapy could help you by calling the Center for Female and Male Sexual Medicine today or book an appointment online.