Introduction: Natural oestrogen administration as oral or transdermal 17β-estradiol is recommended for pubertal induction in girls with hypogonadism. However, suitable low-dose formulations are not consistently available globally. This questionnaire study aimed to identify the current availability of estrogen and progesterone preparations worldwide.
Methods: Endorsed by the ESPE Turner Syndrome Working Group, the questionnaire targeted pediatric endocrinologists. Questions focused on accessibility of oral/transdermal 17β-estradiol and progestogen preparations. Responses were collected through a SurveyMonkey survey disseminated via ESPE channels, direct outreach, and conferences from June 2020 to December 2022.
Results: Participation included 229 healthcare professionals from 45 countries. Oral and transdermal 17β-estradiol in adult dosage were highly accessible (86.5% and 84.3%), with transdermal administration the preferred form (62.8%). Most commonly available estradiol preparations included 50 µg patches (32 countries) and 1 or 2 mg tablets (65.8% and 71.1% countries). However, 0.5 mg 17β-estradiol tablets were available in only 20% of respondents from 8 countries. Patches delivering 14 or 25 mcg/day of 17β-estradiol were available in 3 and 20 countries, respectively. Oral progestogen had widespread availability (96.0%) and preference (87.0%), while transdermal usage was limited to 15.2% of respondents.
Conclusion: This study highlights global challenges in accessing suitable hormone preparations for female pubertal induction. In most countries the lowest dose of the estradiol is 50µg for patches and 2 mg for tablets. Appropriate low dose 17β-estradiol tablets are much less available than low-dose patches. Our survey underscores the importance of adapting guidelines to local availability, and the need for improved accessibility to address these global disparities.
The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.