Low Testosterone In Women: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Understanding Testosterone Therapy for Women: A Complete Guide to Hormone Health

If you’re interested in treating a low libido with testosterone, talk with a doctor to see whether it might be a viable option for you. While testosterone is widely available for males, currently, there is no Food and Drug Administration-approved source of testosterone for females. In December 2023, a group of 48 MPs signed a letter urging the Football Association to change its rules on transgender inclusion in order to “protect women and girls” in football.

For example, intentionally generating sexual thoughts increases testosterone in women not taking oral contraceptives. These researchers took saliva samples from recreational women athletes before and after playing 10 minutes of flag football. The data showed that this short, intense burst of competitive sport triggered the immediate release of testosterone. Interestingly, the subjects’ mental state also contributed to the data. Self-rated performance scores were directly related to testosterone levels. Older women took capsules containing 400 mg of ‌Eurycoma longifolia‌ each day for five weeks.

Notably, cis women of all ages have testosterone serum concentrations in the nanomolar range, which is higher than the picomolar concentrations of the primary female sex hormone estradiol (35). Published data point to testosterone for female being a modulator of immune responses, but most of the studies were performed in mouse models or using human cells in vitro. We have previously demonstrated that testosterone was able to modulate biliary injury via T cells in vivo. In this model, we demonstrated that testosterone treatment was sufficient to completely suppress liver inflammation in female mice, significantly reducing recruitment and IL-17 production of CD4+ T cells. A recent study investigated the effect of androgens on cell populations in various mouse organs.

We get it 30 minutes later and then 30 minutes after that and we should see a nice spike, which is the normal circadian pattern. So we get lots more information about cortisol if we do it in a saliva test than in a blood test. And urine testing looks not just at the level of hormones in your system, but it looks at how your body processes the hormones. So for example, estrogen, there’s multiple different kinds of estrogen in our bodies and the estrogen has to get metabolized down these different biochemical processes, down these different pathways. There’s one pathway that actually is protective against breast cancer. And then there’s another pathway that could sort of be helpful towards breast cancer.

But how low testosterone impacts women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB) isn’t clear. The steroid hormone known as ‌dehydroepiandrosterone, DHEA‌, plays an important role in sexual behavior, mental health and muscle growth. Thus, taking a DHEA supplement should increase your circulating testosterone. A 2018 paper in the International Journal of Sports Medicine explored this possibility in athletic women. Participants took 750 mg of the supplement every day for an extended period.

Testosterone therapy helps to slow down the loss of muscle and bone mass by promoting muscle growth and bone remodeling. Women who undergo testosterone therapy may notice an improvement in their strength, endurance, and overall physical health. This can help with everyday activities, from carrying groceries to maintaining balance and preventing falls.

Low-dose testosterone therapy for females involves using small amounts of testosterone to help balance hormone levels. This therapy may support various health benefits, including improved mood, energy, muscle mass, and libido. It’s usually prescribed when testosterone levels are lower than normal. Once the body has adapted to low-dose testosterone therapy and the right balance has been achieved, long-term benefits can include improved energy, mood, and sexual health. It’s essential, however, to keep up with regular check-ins with the healthcare provider, as hormone levels and health needs can change over time. Loow-dose testosterone therapy may offer women a range of benefits that go beyond just one aspect of health.

Vitamin D, often called the “sunshine vitamin,” is critical in hormonal regulation. It supports bone health and immune function and directly affects estrogen levels. Research has shown that vitamin D helps regulate estrogen production and may reduce the risk of estrogen-related health issues, such as certain cancers. Vitamin D supplementation has also been linked to better menstrual cycle regularity and improved fertility in women with low estrogen levels. These findings parallel hormonal responses observed in men, accounting for sex-related concentration differences. By highlighting the role of testosterone in female exercise physiology, this study underscores its significance in women’s health and performance.