Breaking the Stigma: Women need Testosterone too!

Testosterone is so closely linked with men that many women are surprised to learn their own bodies make it, and that it does real work there. Interest in testosterone treatment for women has grown steadily, and in September 2026 the FDA held a public workshop on a possible approval pathway for a testosterone product designed specifically for women, a sign that the question is now being taken seriously at a regulatory level.

What testosterone does in women, and what treatment can and cannot do, is clearer than it was a few years ago. A large international consensus statement and the meta-analysis behind it set out where the evidence is strong.

What testosterone does in a woman’s body

Women produce testosterone in the ovaries and adrenal glands, and the body also makes it from other hormones in tissues such as fat and skin. Levels are much lower than in men. Its best-established role in women is in sexual desire, and it also acts on many other tissues in ways researchers are still working out.

Testosterone falls gradually with age. Natural menopause does not cause a sudden drop, because the ovaries keep producing some testosterone afterwards. Surgical removal of both ovaries before natural menopause is different, and reduces testosterone levels by roughly half.

Where testosterone therapy helps

The clearest benefit is for postmenopausal women with low sexual desire that causes them distress, known as hypoactive sexual desire disorder. In a 2019 meta-analysis of randomized trials, postmenopausal women treated with testosterone reported more desire, arousal, pleasure and orgasm, more responsiveness, a better sexual self-image, and fewer sexual concerns and less distress than women on placebo or other hormone therapy.

On average, they had about one more satisfying sexual experience each month. As the lead researchers put it, moving from rarely or never having a satisfying experience to having one or two a month can make a real difference to how women feel about themselves.

On the strength of this evidence, a global consensus statement endorsed by the leading endocrine and menopause societies recommends that a trial of testosterone be considered for postmenopausal women with this condition.

What about energy, mood and bones?

Many women who ask about testosterone are dealing with tiredness, low mood, brain fog or changes in muscle and bone. Those concerns are real, but the research on testosterone for them is still limited. The same meta-analysis found no effect on body composition, muscle and bone measures or cognition, although few women contributed data on those outcomes. There is also less evidence for women before menopause.

Symptoms like these can have many causes. A full hormone panel and a conversation about your history is the best way to find out what is behind them and what is likely to help.

Testosterone is measured before treatment starts and again a few weeks later, so the dose stays in that range. Acne and extra hair growth are the most common side effects in trials. For a closer look at side effects and monitoring, read Side Effects of Testosterone Therapy in Women.

Talking it through at SaltMD

If low desire or other changes are affecting your quality of life, a 30-minute consultation and a hormone panel are a good place to start, in person in Atlanta or by video. Your blood can be drawn at a lab near you or at our office, or your clinician can review results from the past 90 days. Your clinician will go through what the evidence supports for your situation, including options other than testosterone.

Learn more about lab panel testing at SaltMD.

Sources

• Davis SR et al. Global consensus position statement on the use of testosterone therapy for women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2019;104(10):4660-4666. doi:10.1210/jc.2019-01603
• Islam RM, Bell RJ, Green S, Page MJ, Davis SR. Safety and efficacy of testosterone for women: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trial data. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2019;7(10):754-766. doi:10.1016/S2213-8587(19)30189-5
• European Menopause and Andropause Society. Menopause Essentials 2026: Managing the menopause without estrogen, Testosterone. 2026.
• Mahatole S, Ananthan P. US regulators urge more research on testosterone therapy for women. Reuters, September 17, 2026.