09/13/2026
Testosterone matters for women—far beyond libido.
Androgen receptors are found throughout the female body, including the brain, heart, bones, muscles, breast tissue, reproductive and urinary tracts, and many other tissues. Testosterone plays a role in numerous physiologic processes involving our musculoskeletal, nervous, metabolic, endocrine, and reproductive health.
Before menopause, the ovaries and adrenal glands contribute significantly to a woman’s androgen production. In fact, women produce substantially more testosterone than estrogen on a daily basis when measured by mass—yet testosterone has historically received far less attention in women’s health.
One reason for the gap? Women were not routinely required to be included in NIH-funded clinical research until the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993. As a result, we are still catching up on decades of research into how hormones—including testosterone—affect women throughout their lifespan.
Consider what we already know about women’s health:
🧠 Nearly two-thirds of Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease are women.
🦴 After age 50, fractures—particularly hip fractures—can have devastating consequences for a woman’s independence, mobility, and survival.
💪 Maintaining bone density, muscle mass, strength, cognition, metabolic health, s*xual function, and overall quality of life becomes increasingly important as women age.
Testosterone is not simply a “male hormone,” and it is not just about s*x drive.
It is a hormone women naturally produce, with receptors throughout the body—and understanding its role in women’s health matters.
Women deserve research, education, and thoughtful conversations about all of their hormones—not just estrogen and progesterone.
