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Virilizing Side Effects

Meaning

Virilizing side effects are the unintended, adverse physical consequences of a therapeutic intervention, such as the administration of certain hormone therapies or pharmacological agents, that inadvertently lead to the development of male-like characteristics in a female patient. These effects are clinically distinct from the patient’s primary disease presentation, representing an iatrogenic form of hyperandrogenism resulting from the medication itself. Management requires careful clinical titration or substitution of the therapeutic agent to effectively mitigate the unwanted androgenic load.