A health advocate is pushing for Pharmac to fund a testosterone drug for women with low libido, noting men have four such treatments when women have none.
Low sexual desire is the most common sexual problem for middle-aged women.
One in three women aged 40-65 experience hypoactive sexual desire dysfunction (HSDD), according to research from the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
Testosterone can be used to combat the issue, but health advocate Jenna Scullin said some doctors won’t prescribe funded versions because “there is limited safety data for women”.
Currently, Pharmac only funds testosterone treatments that have been designed for men’s bodies, she said.
That could change, though, with Pharmac’s Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee (PTAC) meeting next month to consider a new funding application.
“Part of the process of gathering an application for PTAC to consider involves getting submissions,” Pharmac’s device and assessment director David Hughes said.
“In this case Pharmac has contacted advocacy groups to understand their lived experience of people using topical testosterone.”
Pharmac’s online form specifically asks menopausal women who have tried either Androfeme or Testogel to treat HSDD for their feedback on the drugs.
Testogel is one of the testosterone treatments funded in New Zealand, which costs $5 with a prescription for a three-month supply.
Scullin said she has heard mixed reviews from women who have used Testogel but “wouldn’t be comfortable” using it herself, as it was made for men.
She is campaigning for Pharmac to fund AndroFeme 1, which is formulated for women.
The currently unfunded treatment can cost between $153-250 for a three-month supply, Scullin said.
Scullin founded Auckland menopause clinic Cala Clinic after struggling with early menopause herself.
She said her menstrual cycle changed in her early 30s and she started experiencing extreme brainfog and anxiety.
What she thought might have been burnout from raising three young kids turned out to be premature ovarian insufficiency.
She started MHT, which included taking AndroFeme 1, and said it helped her feel like herself again.
Scullin saw there were many women who couldn’t afford to access help for perimenopause, which motivated her to start her lower-cost clinic.
She is now urging people to sign her petition asking Pharmac to approve funding for AndroFeme 1, to further bridge the cost barrier.
“New Zealand men have access to four funded testosterone treatment options. We are asking for one,” the petition reads.
“We urge Pharmac to prioritise this funding decision in line with its principles of equity, improved health outcomes, and recognition of the broader social and relational impact of sexual wellbeing.”
Scullin said it was really important for women to get equal access to medication they need, and if Pharmac funded AndroFeme 1 “that will be a really big step towards equality in that area.”
The petition was created in October and has over 3800 signatures.
Pharmac’s feedback portal is open until tomorrow evening and the meeting to discuss funding Androfeme 1 will take place across February 12 and 13.
Janhavi Gosavi is a Wellington-based journalist for the New Zealand Herald who covers news in the capital.