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LEARN THE ART OF YOGA AND RELAXATION

Testosterone Induces
Changes To Sex Life

BARBARA FITZSIMMONS SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

As part of Sinai's comprehensive approach to cancer care,
Sinai Hospital is offering an eight week course in yoga and
relaxation for people with cancer and their significant others.
The program is partially underwritten by the
Hank Greenberg Oncology Fund. A suggested tax-deductible
donation of $50 is appreciated at the time of registration.

Our individualized program helps participants
to deal more effectively with cancer through
exercise, coping techniques and shared experiences.

All classes are conducted by a
certified yoga instructor who is also
a breast cancer survivor.

Classes will be held

Tuesdays, beginning January 30, 1996
7 - 8:30 p.m..

at the

Jewish Community Center

6600 West Maple Road at Drake

• • •

Reservations are requested as space is limited.
Call Linda Diaz, ACSW, Coordinator of Cancer Counseling Services at

(313) 493-6507

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A

fter Mary started
menopause at age 49, she
felt depressed, lacked en-
ergy and was completely
uninterested in sex with her hus-
band—despite the fact that she
was taking estrogen.
"The estrogen took care of my
hot flashes and night sweats, but
I needed something more," said
the San Diego homemaker.
"Thank goodness for testosterone;
that's what really perked me up."
Like a growing number of
menopausal women, Mary visits
her doctor every three months
and has a slow-release testos-
throne pellet inserted under her
skin.
The hormone, more widely
known as the agent for male ag-
gression and male sexuality,
"gives me energy," said Mary,
who asked that her real name not
be used. "I'm not depressed any-
more, and sex is fun again."
Midlife women who use testos-
throne say it gives them a zest for
life, improves memory and boosts
interest in sex as well as the ca-
pacity to reach orgasm.
"Thirty percent of women af-
ter menopause report a loss of li-
bido; they're 'bed dead,' " said
Ruth Jacobowitz, author of The
150 Most Asked Questions About
Midlife Sex, Love and Intimacy,
and an advocate of testosterone
therapy for women.
"Midlife women deserve a good
sex life, and, sometimes, testos-
throne helps with that."
Mary's doctor, endocrinologist
Benito Villanueva of IGO Med-
ical Group in San Diego, said he
has been prescribing testosterone
for a number of years and is
"amazed at how it helps a
woman's sense of well-being. Of-
tentimes, the results are most
dramatic."
Testosterone is not just a male
hormone. A young woman's
ovaries also produce a small
quantity of it, but that generally
changes at the onset of
menopause, when both testos-
terone and estrogen levels drop.
Estrogen replacement thera-
py has become quite common for
menopausal women in recent
years, and some doctors have
also prescribed progesterone, an-
other female hormone, in combi-
nation with estrogen.
Now, however, some midlife
women are receiving "hormone
cocktails," individualized mix-
tures of estrogen, progesterone

and testosterone, designed to aid

358-55.10

with the wide range of symptoms
that mark the change of life.
Dr. Villanueva said he has also

begun prescribing the different
hormones to women in their 40s
who are not fully into menopause
but are experiencing some symp-
toms.
"The 40s are the transitional
years," Dr Villanueva said.
"Women don't need to wait if they
can benefit from such treatment
earlier."
Dr. Villanueva said the symp-
toms of reduced estrogen include:
emotional volatility, anxiety, hot
flashes and insomnia. The symp-
toms of reduced testosterone in-
clude: fatigue, regular headaches,
loss of libido and depression.
Levels of the two hormones
can be checked through a blood
test.

(

Testosterone is not
just a male hormone.

Testosterone replacement
treatment is not entirely new;
decades ago, doctors experi-
mented with the hormone with
women who had undergone "sur-
gical menopause," or hysterec-
tomies. Dr. Villanueva said a San
Diego study showed that 80 per- (
cent of hysterectomy patients
who received estrogen reported
that menopausal symptoms dis-
sipated. However, 100 percent
felt back to normal when they re-
ceived both estrogen and testos-
terone.
At Canada's McGill Universi-
ty, 70 percent of the women who c'
visit the university's menopause
clinic report decreased libido.
Those who receive testosterone
therapy say it makes a marked
difference.
Still, hormone replacement
therapy remains controversial.
Researchers are still studying
side effects, and some doctors and
many women advocate "natural
menopause," without added hor-
mones.
As it stands, testosterone ther-
apy can cause some unpleasant
side effects, such as facial hair, a
deepening of the voice and acne.
Studies show that testosterone
therapy with men has also
caused heightened cholesterol
levels in the blood.
"It's not for everyone," Dr. Vil-
lanueva said. "Some women get
no benefits at all."
But, women who do benefit
from testosterone say the side ef-

fects are minimal compared with
the relief.

Sheryl Crawford, a 51-year-old
cosmetics manager for a depart-