Why Would Women Need Testosterone Replacement Therapy?

Male and Female Testosterone: Key Differences and Facts

Testosterone can be considered if you are experiencing symptoms suggestive of testosterone deficiency and you have low testosterone levels or low free androgen index(FAI) levels. Testosterone can be taken alongside oestrogen and progesterone or can be used on its own. Levels of testosterone in women gradually decline as you enter your 30s but drop around the time of the perimenopause and menopause. It’s natural for testosterone levels to vary depending on your age and overall health.

Our research found estrogen levels are higher than testosterone levels at all stages of the menstrual cycle. Testosterone is essential for contributing to a woman’s sexual well-being by boosting libido and supporting reproductive health. In addition to that, testosterone is also necessary for the development of new blood cells.

Only you and your healthcare provider can decide what is chloride on blood test’s best for you based on your symptoms and bloodwork. Excessive testosterone in women can lead to symptoms like abnormal hair growth on the face, chest, or abdomen, thinning hair on the scalp, deepening of the voice, and irregular menstrual cycles. If you experience these symptoms, it’s essential to seek medical advice to address androgen deficiency or imbalance. With the right treatment plan, your hormone levels can be brought into balance to reduce these effects and improve your overall health. Testosterone plays a really important role in sex drive for both men and women.

Menopausal women are often prone to low testosterone levels; a forty-year-old woman, for example, has approximately half the testosterone of a twenty-year-old. On average, testosterone levels in females fall by as much as five percent per year beginning when they turn twenty. With the recent controversy surrounding South African Olympian Caster Semenya, many are beginning to wonder how common it is for women to have naturally high testosterone levels. Even with the advancement of hormone-testing technology, testosterone is still broadly considered a “male-only” hormone, despite its natural production in the ovaries.

However, when female bodies produce an excess amount of testosterone or other androgens, their bodies can’t keep up with converting it to estrogen. If a woman reports any of the symptoms listed above, a doctor will likely check for other, more common, conditions first. Because the symptoms linked to low testosterone are so common, a doctor will look for signs of other issues or conditions before making a diagnosis. Both men and women have testosterone in their bodies, men simply have more of it.

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a precursor to estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, and is secreted by the adrenal glands. In menopausal women, this provides a reservoir of hormones from the adrenal glands. If  DHEA is lower than expected for the age of the woman, then she will often experience increased menopausal symptoms as there is less adrenal production to compensate for the decrease in ovarian production. The exact function of testosterone in women is not completely understood. However, testosterone levels in women is important in sexual function. It contributes to the sexual maturation of the vulva and vaginal tissues and the brain.

In addition, testosterone deficiency has been linked to low mood, sadness and, in general, lack of well-being. Thus, determining normal blood testosterone values loses some relevance, since its effects also depend on other factors. In addition, it is important to note that androgens are precursors to synthesize estradiol (an estrogen). The theca cells of the ovarian follicle produce androgens, which will be converted to estradiol in the follicular granulosa cells. At Longevità Medical, we are committed to providing comprehensive care based on the latest medical research.

Increasing testosterone levels can help improve overall sexual function, increase libido, and even improve sexual satisfaction. If your results are not normal, it doesn’t always mean you have a medical condition that needs treatment. If you have questions about your results, talk to your health care provider. With Nava’s bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), you have the opportunity to rejuvenate your body and reframe your expectations for getting older – you don’t need to live with these symptoms. We offer a complete run-down of everything you want to know about testosterone in the male and female bodies, its role, symptoms of low testosterone, and possible testosterone therapy to rebalance low-T levels.