Did you know that women make more testosterone than estrogen? It’s true. But, what keeps us from having too much circulating testosterone is something called aromatization. This little enzyme called aromatase turns testosterone in to estradiol (over simplification but basically what happens).
Women need testosterone too. Testosterone is NOT a “male hormone” FFS.
However there is no “FDA Approved” product for women.
But no one in conventional medicine bats an eye at that (whole other conversation)
That to say, I can tell you from experience and the experience of my colleagues in this area that testosterone does have a lot of benefits for women (again, experientially speaking)
Improved body composition, better sleep, improved moods, better energy, motivation, bone health and more. Do we have the double blind placebo controlled studies? Not yet. But no one is studying that shit.
Testosterone does also start to unfortunately decline for a lot of women in their mid 30’s. If you’re struggling with libido, energy, body composition, orgasm changes, mood, sleep— ask your practitioner to check a Total + free testosterone LC/MS with a SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin)
SHBG is really important because SHBG binds up testosterone so you could have a total T level that “looks good” but it’s all being bound up by SGBG so your body can’t use it! In these cases we typically see a much lower Free T with a high or higher end normal total testosterone. This is important because if your free level isn’t increasing or someone isn’t looking at it you could look like your T is good— but it really isn’t!
So what does prescribing testosterone look like?
We do have some general guidelines because surprise— other countries already have approved products for women.
The dose of testosterone often effective for women is AROUND 10% of a mans total weekly dose.
IN GENERAL the dose for men is 200mg/mL and inject 200mg intramuscularly (big needle) every 2 weeks. Ten percent of this for women would be 20mg every 2 weeks or 10mg weekly. Now, this is just a starting point, and some women if they are sensitive it is better to start low and go slow.
How this is dosed daily, weekly, bi-weekly depends on the route of administration you’re using— cream, gel, injection.
If you’re wondering about your testosterone levels and if hormone therapy could be right for you, sign up for a Hormone Strategy Session Here.
If you want to know more before you book a session you can always book a consultation call so you have the clarity + understanding you need (and yes again, with me— not a sales person or a bot
Disclaimer: The information on this blog is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It should not replace personalized medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your medications, supplements, diet, or treatment plan.
