|
 Excerpt
 Join our health
discussion groups - click here  Recently I
read Dr. Susan Rako's book The Hormone of Desire. Her book has been a best seller
and delves deeply into the area of women and testosterone deficiency. This subject
is slowly being discussed and it's through Dr. Rakos' appearances on Oprah and radio that
she is making a strong case that there are many women suffering from testosterone
deficiency. This condition can leave women not wanting to have sex, feeling
exhausted, and at times depressed.
  The
Hormone of Desire is a very complete and thoughtful book. It works to guide women
into her health options as far as testosterone therapy is concerned. She separates
the long held myths about testosterone and women from the powerful reality.
Women's sexuality is beginning to get the attention it deserves and Dr. Rako's book is a
long awaited and much anticipated resource.
I had the fortunate opportunity to chat with Dr. Rako about her thoughts on testosterone
deficiency in women.
Sue:
Thanks for joining me Dr. Rako and taking the time to talk with me about this
very important topic. Many women in my online perimenopause/menopause support group,
HotFlash!, have questions about using testosterone to jump start their failing sex
drives.
Sue:
Could you tell us what are the three most important matters you would like to address
concerning testosterone deficiency and potential supplementation for women?
Susan Rako:
Consequences of testosterone deficiency
While symptoms
of testosterone deficiency can occur during the perimenopause (the years just before
menopause), as well as following natural menopause, the consequences of testosterone
deficiency are most dramatic in women who have had a hysterectomy before they have gone
through natural menopause. Since one out of every three American women has had a
hysterectomy by the age of 65 -- the majority of hysterectomies performed in women under
the age of 50 -- the facts about testosterone deficiency and potential supplementation are
vital for women to know.
Testosterone & heart disease
Common ignorance associates testosterone with heart disease. In fact, we have a
growing body of evidence that maintaining testosterone levels within a normal range is
likely to protect women from heart attack and stroke. Women who have had a pre-menopausal
hysterectomy develop 3 to 7 times the risk of heart attack and stroke than they would have
if they had not had a hysterectomy, even if they are given supplemental estrogen. Prudent
care dictates that a woman should give very careful thought to the decision to have a
hysterectomy for reasons other than cancer -- and that following any hysterectomy, even if
the ovaries are left in place, a woman should be monitored for signs of testosterone
deficiency. The function of the ovaries is very often damaged as a result of hysterectomy
-- probably due to interference with the blood supply that the ovaries share in common
with the uterus.
Pitfalls in testosterone testing
If a woman is given supplemental testosterone in the form of Estratest, the blood
test for testosterone cannot give meaningful data, since the form of testosterone in
Estratest (methyltestosterone) interferes with the blood test for testosterone. Many women
benefit more from lower levels of
testosterone than what is available in Estratest (even the Half Strength) -- and would do
better if their doctors ordered testosterone compounded in lower dosages by an experienced
compounding pharmacist.
Sue:
Thank you Dr. Rako for your observations and also I would like to thank yu for
the permission to share an excerpt of your book with us. I'm sure that many of the readers
will be interested in asking you some questions.
see the Excerpt
from "Hormone of Desire"
Recognizing testosterone Deficiency
Excerpt
"Making Love
the Way We Used to...Or Better"
interview
with Laurie Ashner and Alan M. Altman MD
hosted by Sue Spataro, RN, BSN
 Interviews & FREE excerpt
   Within
the last 15 years, intimate relations at midlife has made it to the talk show circuit.
Laurie Ashner and Dr. Alan Altman have worked together to write the complete guide to
regaining the intimacy, love, and yes, the fun that you shared before hitting 35. Laurie,
as an established health author and Dr. Altman a prominent gynecologist and expert on
midlife sexuality, have written an in depth, easy to read, and most importantly, easy to
use handbook. Find out more about the science of intimacy and what you can do to improve
your love life. |
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 Women's
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Sexuality
This important area is often not mentioned
when you see your doctor. We have interviews with the most respected authors in the field
and a place for you to ask your questions and get support.
Meet the author:
Ruth S. Jacobowitz
author of: "150 Most-Asked Questions about Midlife Sex, Love, and Intimacy"
Interview & FREE excerpt
hosted by Sue Spataro, RN, BSN
 One of the strengths of this book is that it is written by a medical
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that conducted with women about their sex lives at midlife and later, but not their
identities. It is explicit in detailing their desires and their disappointments,
their pleasure and their pain, their sexual needs and their search for solutions. Find out
more. |
