Mounjaro for women: the benefits, the evidence and who can get it

Two in three people in the main Mounjaro weight loss trial were women. Here is what the trial found, what else improved, and who can get the medicine in the UK.

By Sian Anderson. Published 5 November 2026. 7 minute read. Information, not medical advice.

Sian Anderson, Writer and editor, MyGLP. Sources checked 5 November 2026.

In the main Mounjaro trial, where two in three people taking part were women, average weight loss was 15% to 21% of body weight over 72 weeks, depending on the dose. Blood pressure, waist size and blood sugar fell with the weight. In a separate trial, the breathing pauses of sleep apnoea roughly halved.

The rest of this guide sets out the figures behind each benefit, who can get Mounjaro on the NHS, how to get it privately and safely, and the points that matter most to women. Current prices at every dose are on our Mounjaro price page.

How tirzepatide works

Mounjaro is the brand name for tirzepatide, a weekly injection. The NHS tirzepatide page explains that it activates two gut hormone receptors, GLP-1 and GIP. You feel less hungry, you stay full for longer, and food leaves your stomach more slowly, which keeps blood sugar steadier after meals.

The Mounjaro patient leaflet sets out the dose ladder. Everyone starts on 2.5mg once a week for 4 weeks, then 5mg. A prescriber can raise the dose in 2.5mg steps up to 15mg, with each dose kept for at least 4 weeks first. Our first month guide covers what to expect at the start.

What the SURMOUNT-1 trial found

SURMOUNT-1, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2022, followed 2,539 adults with obesity, or overweight with a related health condition, for 72 weeks. Of those, 67.5% were women. The average age was 44.9 and the average starting weight was 104.8kg.

Everyone in the trial also had advice on a lower-calorie diet and more activity. Source: Jastreboff et al, NEJM 2022.
Weekly dose	Average weight change at 72 weeks	Lost 20% or more of body weight
Tirzepatide 5mg	15.0% lower	30.0% of people
Tirzepatide 10mg	19.5% lower	50.1% of people
Tirzepatide 15mg	20.9% lower	56.7% of people
Placebo	3.1% lower	3.1% of people

Whether women lose more than men on Mounjaro is a question of its own, and our guide do women lose more weight on Mounjaro? looks at the analyses by sex.

Benefits beyond the scales

The same trial measured changes in heart and metabolic risk. Across all three doses, systolic blood pressure fell by 7.2 mm Hg on average, against 1.0 mm Hg on placebo. Waist size fell by 14.0cm to 18.5cm depending on dose, against 4.0cm on placebo. Triglycerides, a blood fat, fell by 24.8% against 5.6%.

Blood sugar is the figure many women ask about. At the start, 40.6% of people in SURMOUNT-1 had prediabetes, where blood sugar runs high but not yet at diabetes level. By week 72, 95.3% of those on tirzepatide were back in the normal range, against 61.9% on placebo.

Fasting insulin, a marker of how hard your body works to control blood sugar, fell by 42.9% on tirzepatide against 6.6% on placebo. Insulin resistance sits behind many cases of PCOS, which is one reason women with PCOS ask about Mounjaro. The trial also scored physical function with a standard questionnaire. Scores rose on the two higher doses by 3.6 points, against 1.7 on placebo. The gain was real but modest, so do not expect the questionnaire result to match the change on the scales.

Sleep apnoea, and a gap in the evidence

Obstructive sleep apnoea is when your airway closes again and again during sleep. The SURMOUNT-OSA trials, published in 2024, tested tirzepatide in 469 adults with moderate to severe sleep apnoea and obesity. After 52 weeks, breathing pauses per hour fell by 50.7% in people not using a CPAP machine and by 58.7% in people using one. On placebo the falls were 3.0% and 2.5%.

Women made up only 32.9% and 27.7% of those two trials. That matters because the results for women rest on fewer people. This is about evidence catching up, not women against men. If you snore, wake gasping or feel exhausted after a full night in bed, tell your GP. Our sleep guide has more.

Who can get Mounjaro on the NHS

NICE approved tirzepatide for weight management in technology appraisal TA1026. The NICE criteria are a BMI of at least 35 plus at least one weight-related condition. The BMI threshold is usually 2.5 lower for people from South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean backgrounds. If you lose less than 5% of your starting weight after 6 months on the highest dose you can manage, you and your clinician decide together whether to carry on.

NHS England is rolling the medicine out in phases over three years, starting with the people at highest risk. The listed conditions are high blood pressure, raised blood fats (dyslipidaemia), obstructive sleep apnoea, heart and circulation disease, and type 2 diabetes.

Thresholds are 2.5 lower for the ethnic backgrounds named by NICE. Source: NICE TA1026.
Phase	Who qualifies
First phase	BMI of 40 or more and four or more listed conditions
From around June 2026	BMI of 35 to 39.9 and four or more listed conditions
From around March 2027	BMI of 40 or more and three listed conditions

Getting Mounjaro privately

Outside the NHS, you need a prescription from a registered prescriber, usually through a pharmacy with an online service. The MHRA says in its GLP-1 guidance that you should never buy these medicines from beauty salons or through social media, and that you can check any pharmacy in Great Britain on the GPhC register. Prices vary between pharmacies and by dose. Our Mounjaro price page lists them, and compare sets Mounjaro beside Wegovy and the pills.

Points for women

The pill. Mounjaro may make tablet contraception less reliable for 4 weeks after starting and after each dose rise. See contraception on weight loss medicines.
Pregnancy. The NHS says to stop tirzepatide at least 4 weeks before you start trying for a baby. See fertility and pregnancy.
Breastfeeding. The MHRA says GLP-1 medicines must not be taken while breastfeeding.
Periods. Weight loss can shift your cycle and restart ovulation. See periods on weight loss injections.
PCOS. Weight loss can bring back regular cycles. See PCOS and weight loss medicines.
Menopause. HRT and Mounjaro can be taken together. See perimenopause and weight loss medicines.

Questions to take to your prescriber

Which conditions on my record count towards NHS eligibility, and which phase do I fall into?
How will we decide when to move up a dose, and can I stay on a dose for longer if the side effects are hard?
Which contraception suits me while I take Mounjaro?
What should my blood pressure and blood sugar be checked for, and when?
What happens at the 6 month review if I have lost less than 5%?

Side effects in brief

Nausea, diarrhoea, constipation and vomiting are the most common side effects, mostly while the dose is going up. Hair loss and gallstones are listed as common. Our Mounjaro side effects guide goes through each one with the trial figures. If you are weighing Mounjaro against Wegovy, read the best weight loss injection for women.

Get urgent medical help if you have severe stomach pain that does not go away, with or without pain spreading to your back. The MHRA lists this as the main sign of pancreatitis. For other worries, call your prescriber or NHS 111.

Paying for your own medicine? The lowest first-order prices today, with delivery included: Mounjaro from £89.00, Wegovy from £44.00, Wegovy pill from £52.99, Foundayo from £49.00.

Compare every price Discount codes

Sources

Tirzepatide (NHS)
Mounjaro KwikPen patient information leaflet (Eli Lilly, via the electronic medicines compendium)
Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity (SURMOUNT-1) (Jastreboff et al, New England Journal of Medicine, 2022)
Tirzepatide for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and obesity (SURMOUNT-OSA) (Malhotra et al, New England Journal of Medicine, 2024)
Tirzepatide for managing overweight and obesity (TA1026), recommendations (NICE)
GLP-1 medicines for weight loss and diabetes: what you need to know (MHRA, GOV.UK)
Women on skinny jabs must use effective contraception, MHRA urges (MHRA, GOV.UK)

Sian Anderson

Sian writes the health and nutrition guides on MyGLP. Every clinical claim links to the NHS, NICE, a medical royal college, a regulator or a peer-reviewed paper, and the pages carry no medical advice.

Questions

What are the benefits of Mounjaro for women?

In SURMOUNT-1, where 67.5% of people were women, average weight loss was 15% to 21% at 72 weeks. Blood pressure and waist size fell, and 95.3% of people with prediabetes returned to normal blood sugar, against 61.9% on placebo.

Can women get Mounjaro on the NHS?

Yes, if you meet the NICE TA1026 criteria: a BMI of at least 35 with at least one weight-related condition, or 2.5 lower for some ethnic backgrounds. NHS England is rolling it out in phases, starting with people at the highest BMI and with the most conditions.

How does Mounjaro work?

Tirzepatide activates two gut hormone receptors, GLP-1 and GIP. You feel less hungry, stay full for longer, and food leaves your stomach more slowly. You inject it once a week.

Does Mounjaro help sleep apnoea?

In the SURMOUNT-OSA trials, breathing pauses per hour fell by about half to three fifths over 52 weeks, against almost no change on placebo. Women were under a third of the people in those trials, so the evidence for women rests on smaller numbers.

Can I take Mounjaro while on the pill?

Yes, with care. The NHS and MHRA advise a barrier method such as condoms for 4 weeks after starting Mounjaro and after each dose rise, or a switch to a method that does not go through the stomach.