Low testosterone in women is a common problem. There are many possible causes including an underactive thyroid gland, high blood sugar, and polycystic ovary syndrome. If you’re experiencing symptoms like decreased sex drive and fatigue that don’t seem to be going away with rest or treatment for other conditions, it may be time to have your testosterone levels checked by your doctor.
We explore the various reasons why low T can happen in women. We’ll also discuss some common treatments as well as what doctors look out for when testing hormone levels.
Key Takeaways
Testosterone plays an essential role in women’s bodies
Testosterone deficiencies occur in both men and women
A blood test can measure testosterone levels
Low testosterone in women causes symptoms like lowered libido, weight gain, and decreased muscle mass
Women can increase their testosterone levels through medication, lifestyle changes, and natural supplements
What Does Testosterone Do for a Woman’s Body?
Testosterone plays a vital role in the following bodily functions of women:
Testosterone is an androgen hormone produced by women’s bodies, specifically in the adrenal glands, ovaries, and fat cells of the peripheral tissues.
Testosterone is one of three primary sex hormones found in both men and women. However, testosterone levels differ significantly, with womens’ typically being much lower.
Though testosterone levels in women are much lower than in men, it’s still a vital hormone
Source: https://www.hgha.com/testosterone-levels-in-women/
https://www.hgha.com/testosterone-levels-in-men-by-age/
What Does Low Testosterone Do to a Woman?
Low testosterone can result in several adverse effects on women’s health, including:
Obesity can significantly lower your testosterone levels, and losing about 30% of weight can improve the levels
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3955331/
What Are the Treatments for Low Testosterone in Women?
Low levels of testosterone in women can be treated through medication, testosterone boosters, testosterone release triggering supplements, or lifestyle changes. However, due to its relative rarity, specific treatments for testosterone deficiency in women have not been studied extensively enough.
How Can a Woman Increase Her Testosterone Level?
Androgen therapy, also known as testosterone replacement therapy, is the most effective treatment for low testosterone levels. However, there are various other supplements and lifestyle changes women can make to raise their testosterone levels in a safer, more gradual way.
Testosterone Supplements for Women
There are several natural testosterone boosters on the market to trigger or assist the body’s production of the hormone.
One of the most popular supplements is discussed in detail in our Nugenix Total T review. It is comprised of eight natural ingredients that elevate both total and free testosterone levels, subsequently increasing muscle mass, energy, and sex drive.
Other supplements recommended for people suffering from low testosterone levels trigger the release of the human growth hormone (HGH).
The benefits of HGH for men and women include weight loss and lean muscle mass gain. In addition, increased HGH levels can counter the physical effects of testosterone insufficiency, although one should carefully consider HGH side effects before using growth hormone-releasing supplements.
Lifestyle Changes
Besides natural supplements, various lifestyle changes could improve testosterone levels and ease the symptoms associated with testosterone deficiency.
These include:
Consuming a high-protein, low-fat diet. Low protein, high-fat diets can lower your body’s testosterone production [15]
Sex therapy may help treat and manage sexual dysfunction associated with low levels of testosterone
Exercise, especially resistance training, can naturally stimulate testosterone production [16]
Stress may cause lower sexual desire in women [17]. Finding ways to reduce or manage stress levels could help counter the effects of low testosterone on sex drive
What do you think stress affects most in a woman's libido?
Click on any answer to reveal the interesting findings.
Contrary to popular belief, physical arousal is the form of arousal most affected by chronic stress.
Prescription Medications
Due to the essential role of testosterone in maintaining sex drive, women with low testosterone levels may also have hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD).
HSDD is one of the only circumstances under which premenopausal women will be provided with hormone replacement therapy. This is because the adverse effects of testosterone therapy in women, possibly including breast cancer, have not been sufficiently studied or documented [18, 19].
Prescription medications for testosterone deficiency include:
Testosterone patches, which allow absorption of testosterone through the skin, but must be used continuously
Testosterone gel used to decrease the symptoms of testosterone deficiency
Testosterone injections, which raise testosterone levels in the blood and reduce the symptoms of testosterone insufficiency
FAQ
Below are some of the most commonly asked questions about low testosterone in women.
How Are Testosterone Levels Tested?
Measuring the level of testosterone in your body usually requires a blood test. In addition, your doctor may recommend a total and free testosterone test to pinpoint which of these should be supplemented.
Most testosterone in your body is bound to protein, while some of it is bioavailable or free. Therefore, deficiencies in either total or free testosterone could be the cause of the symptoms of low testosterone.
How Do You Fix Low Testosterone?
You can treat a hormone imbalance like low testosterone by supplementing the testosterone concentrations in the body. This is most commonly done through testosterone therapy, involving hormone injections, patches, or gels to rectify the imbalance.
One can also raise testosterone levels through changes in diet and exercise and by taking natural supplements.
How Much Testosterone Should a Woman Take to Build Muscle?
The use of testosterone supplements and hormone replacement therapy must be carried out with caution as elevated testosterone levels in women may cause the development of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), resulting in the following symptoms:
How Does Bioidentical Testosterone for Females Work?
Bioidentical testosterone treatment is recommended to treat symptoms of low testosterone levels in menopausal and postmenopausal women, as well as conditions like vaginal atrophy and osteoporosis [24, 25].
Bioidentical testosterone is derived from plants and is often preferred over other testosterone therapies due to its natural origins. Furthermore, bioidentical testosterone is identical to the testosterone produced by humans.
Bioidentical testosterone can be administered in the following forms:
Transdermal patches
Gels and creams
Pills
Injections
Can Women Take Testosterone Boosters?
Yes, women can take testosterone boosters to rebalance their hormone levels. However, this must always be done under medical supervision as too much testosterone can cause several adverse symptoms and possible health risks.
Conclusion
Despite testosterone deficiency not being a common condition in women, its effects can cause various adverse symptoms.
A testosterone test can quickly help you ascertain whether or not you have low testosterone levels. Fortunately, there are many treatments available to manage the deficiency as well as its symptoms in women.
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Though testosterone levels in women are much lower than in men, it’s still a vital hormone
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