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CC BY 4.0 · Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet 2021; 43(12): 988-994
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1740610
Febrasgo Position Statement

Use of androgens at different stages of life: reproductive period

Number 11 - December 2021
Andrea Prestes Nácul 
1   Unidade de Reprodução Humana, Hospital Fúmina, Grupo Hospitalar Conceição, Porto Alegre,RS, Brazil
,
Gabriela Pravatta Rezende 
2   Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
,
Daniela Angerame Yela Gomes 
3   Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
,
Técia Maranhão 
4   Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
,
Laura Olinda Bregieiro Fernandes Costa 
5   Universidade de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
,
Fernando Marcos dos Reis 
6   Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
,
Gustavo Arantes Rosa Maciel 
7   Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
,
Lia Cruz Vaz da Costa Damásio 
8   Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, PI, Brazil
,
Ana Carolina Japur de Sá Rosa e Silva 
9   Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
,
Vinicius Medina Lopes 
10   Universidade de Brasília, Brasília DF, Brazil
,
Maria Cândida Baracat 
11   Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
,
Gustavo Mafaldo Soares 
12   Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
,
José Maria Soares  Junior
13   Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
,
Cristina Laguna Benetti-Pinto 
14   Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
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Key points

  • Although there are several situations that can potentially lead to lower androgen levels, until now is not defined a syndrome or biochemical criteria to diagnose androgen deficiency in women. Benefits of androgen therapy in these situations are controversial.

  • Girls with delayed puberty manifesting primarily as a lack of development of secondary sex characters and primary amenorrhea may be deficient in sex hormone production, including androgen production deficiency.

  • Due to surgical menopause and premature ovarian failure, androgen levels may be reduced compared to age-matched normal controls.

  • Young women with hypopituitarism, anorexia nervosa, and adrenal insufficiency may have lower serum androgen levels.

  • The use of androgens and anabolic steroids for aesthetic purposes has increased considerably due to issues related to the cult of the body and beauty. However, this is associated with undesirable and potentially irreversible aesthetic manifestations, in addition to an increase in morbidity.

The National Specialty Commission on Gynecology Endocrinology of the Brazilian Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Associations (FEBRASGO) endorses to this document. The content production is based on scientific studies on a thematic proposal and the findings presented contribute to clinical practice.




Publication History

Article published online:
21 December 2021

© 2021. Federação Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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