When you think of “low testosterone” you assume it’s just a male problem, but women can and do suffer from low testosterone. In fact, it can be one of the most overlooked hormonal issues in women over 40.
Women naturally produce testosterone in their ovaries and adrenal glands. Levels peak in a woman’s 20s and 30s and then gradually decline with age, dropping by about half around the time of menopause.
Let’s take a closer look at the role of testosterone in females, the causes and symptoms of testosterone deficiency in women and how it can be treated.
Testosterone may be the most important male hormone or androgen. However, testosterone is vital to the health and well-being of women as well.
Though testosterone is often thought of as a “male hormone” or androgen, it is an essential hormone for women too. Just as in men, testosterone plays a critical role in mental, physical, and emotional health. Women’s bodies make and need testosterone, albeit in lesser amounts than men’s. In fact, because women require only a small amount of testosterone to maintain good health, in a way, their bodies are even more sensitive to fluctuations in testosterone levels than men’s bodies are.
Women like men can suffer from low testosterone, but they can also be in trouble if their testosterone level is off in the other direction. It’s possible for a woman’s testosterone production to be too high or too low. And because testosterone is a key hormone in the body—in women and men alike—any testosterone imbalance can have a detrimental effect on your health and fitness.
As in men, there is a range for what is considered the normal testosterone level for women. Of course, women’s bodies produce and secrete testosterone in much lower amounts than men. The normal range of testosterone levels for women is considered to be between 15 and 70 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL). That same range for men is between 280 to 1,100 ng/dl.
As in men, a woman’s level of free testosterone in the blood fluctuates throughout the day.
Maintaining levels of testosterone within the normal range is critical for a woman’s overall health.
The normal range of testosterone levels for females is:
| Age (in years) | Testosterone range (in nanograms per deciliter) |
|---|---|
| 10–11 | < 7–44 |
| 12–16 | < 7–75 |
| 17–18 | 20–75 |
| 19+ | 8–60 |
The range for males is higher, depending on age:
| Age (in years) | Testosterone range (in nanograms per deciliter) |
|---|---|
| 10–11 | < 7–130 |
| 12–13 | < 7–800 |
| 14 | < 7–1,200 |
| 15–16 | 100–1,200 |
| 17–18 | 300–1,200 |
| 19+ | 240–950 |
As in men, low testosterone in women would be defined as a testosterone level in the blood that falls below the normal range. Women’s bodies do make testosterone, of course, but in much lower amounts than men’s do. Research suggests that since women have so much less testosterone to begin with, when they start to lose it, as do men when they age, the negative impacts can come on sooner and greater.
Maintaining adequate supplies within the normal range of testosterone in the blood for women is critical to overall health and wellness. As in men, testosterone in women is necessary for sexual desire and performance. It also plays a critical role in cellular metabolism, and therefore a women’s ability to maintain a proper lean muscle to fat ratio. Also, as in men, testosterone in women plays a role in cognition, mood, and maintaining healthy sleep patterns.
Testosterone in women is produced primarily by the ovaries. Low testosterone in women could therefore be caused by any condition or disease state that negatively impacts the ovaries. However, the cause is usually the hormone depletion that comes with menopause once the ovaries cease producing eggs and all of a woman’s hormone levels drop significantly.
It is estimated that by the time a woman reaches 40, her testosterone level could be half of what it was in her 20s.
If you are a woman who believes you are suffering from low testosterone, the very first thing you should do is see your doctor and have your testosterone levels tested. This is very important, as the signs and symptoms of low testosterone in women can be similar to other serious medical conditions. If, after taking a blood test, your doctor finds that your levels of free testosterone are lower than the normal range of testosterone for women, you may be a candidate for testosterone replacement therapy.
Testosterone replacement therapy for women is usually prescribed in conjunction with other hormone replacement therapies. The goal of testosterone therapy in women is to not only raise their levels into the normal female testosterone range but to bring all of your hormones into proper balance.
Because we now know that low testosterone is a problem for women, it is vitally important that women, and their partners, learn to recognize the symptoms of low testosterone. The signs of low testosterone in women include:
Maintaining adequate supplies within the normal range of testosterone in the blood for women is critical to overall health and wellness. As in men, testosterone in women is necessary for sexual desire and performance. It also plays a critical role in cellular metabolism, and therefore a women’s ability to maintain a proper lean muscle to fat ratio. Also, as in men, testosterone in women plays a role in cognition, mood, and maintaining healthy sleep patterns.
In fact, some of the most recent research seems to indicate that the reason why women are far more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease later in life than men is due to the greater protection against dementia men receive by having more testosterone in their blood than women.
A recent study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that postmenopausal women who were suffering from Alzheimer’s disease had below-normal testosterone levels and suggested that testosterone replacement could offer women a “neuroprotective effect.”
Women who have been diagnosed with low testosterone can be effectively treated with testosterone replacement therapy. Unlike men who experience a drop in testosterone slowly over time, leading to low testosterone, low testosterone in women usually comes about along with the loss of female hormones during menopause. As such, testosterone replacement therapy for women is rarely given alone and is usually an adjunct to other hormone replacement therapy (HRT) used to treat menopausal symptoms.
Testosterone replacement therapy, especially when used in conjunction with typical hormone replacement therapies for pre and postmenopausal women, can have many positive effects.
However, testosterone therapy must be administered with caution and requires doctors with particular experience and expertise to prescribe testosterone therapy for women.
When properly prescribed and carefully monitored, testosterone therapy in women has been shown to:
In addition, there was a recent study that found that testosterone therapy in women may decrease the risk of a cardiovascular incident such as a stroke or heart attack, and unlike previous thinking, recent research seems to suggest that testosterone therapy in women may, in fact, reduce the risk of breast cancer.
There is a common myth or misconception that testosterone therapy can “masculinize” women. In other words, make them “too manly” by deepening their voice or even causing excessive hair growth on the face or body. This is not true. While it is true that testosterone is used to “masculinize” transgender women who are transitioning to men, in the doses normally prescribed for women that are having issues with low testosterone, this does not occur. In fact, restoring a woman’s testosterone to more youthful levels, far from making you more masculine, can actually make you more feminine and sexier!
In addition to problems with low testosterone, women can have a problem if their testosterone level is above the normal range. Too much testosterone can cause symptoms that affect a woman’s physical appearance, such as increased hair growth or hair loss, acne, and decreased breast size. In more severe cases of testosterone imbalances in women, high testosterone can cause infertility and obesity.
There can be several causes of excessive testosterone production in women. Some of the most common causes of higher than normal testosterone levels in women are:
Testosterone levels to detect testosterone imbalance in women are tested via blood tests. To perform this test, your doctor will draw some of your blood and have it examined for hormone levels.
The test is typically performed in the morning when testosterone levels are at their highest. Prior to performing this test, your doctor may ask you to stop taking any prescriptions that could affect the test results.
Diagnosis of high or low testosterone levels are based on test results and the accepted normal ranges of testosterone levels in women mentioned above.
Your doctor will order testosterone testing if you have been exhibiting the signs and symptoms of either high or low testosterone.
Testosterone problems in women are not always as simple as having a level that is too low or too high. For many women over 40, changes in testosterone occur along with shifts in estrogen, progesterone, thyroid hormones and other parts of the hormonal system.
That is why a complete hormone evaluation matters. At The HGH Therapy Doctor, our doctors look at your symptoms, medical history, lifestyle and lab results before recommending treatment. The goal is to identify whether testosterone or another hormone imbalance may be contributing to changes in energy, mood, sexual health, muscle strength, body composition or overall well-being.
Women with low testosterone may benefit from carefully prescribed hormone therapy when it is medically appropriate. Women with higher-than-normal testosterone may need a different approach based on the underlying cause. In some cases, symptoms that appear to involve testosterone may actually be connected to perimenopause, menopause or an imbalance involving several hormones at the same time.
Every treatment plan is customized. Our doctors do not use a one-size-fits-all approach to hormone care. We monitor your progress, review follow-up lab work and adjust treatment when needed to help keep hormone levels within a healthy range while addressing the symptoms that brought you to us in the first place.
The HGH Therapy Doctor also makes it easier for women to receive expert hormone care through our convenient telemedicine program. You can meet with a licensed medical provider, complete the required testing and receive an individualized treatment plan without making repeated trips to a medical office. When prescription therapy is appropriate, medications are prescribed by a licensed provider and supplied through a licensed pharmacy.
If you are over 40 and have noticed changes in your energy, mood, libido, strength, weight or overall sense of well-being, a hormone imbalance could be part of the problem. Contact The HGH Therapy Doctor today to schedule your consultation and learn whether testosterone or another hormone imbalance may be affecting how you feel.
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