Testosterone for Women

While testosterone is typically associated with men, women produce this hormone too. Women begin producing this during puberty when levels are at their highest. This continues throughout a woman's lifetime, fluctuating at different points like during their period. Testosterone levels naturally decline as women get older.

Women produce testosterone throughout their body, although in smaller amounts than men. This occurs in the:

• ovaries
• adrenal glands
• skin cells
• fat cells

For women, testosterone levels affect:

• sex drive
• fertility
• bone health
• muscle mass
• mood

Testosterone levels that are too low or too high may point to an underlying health condition. You should speak to your doctor if you are concerned about your levels.

Testosterone levels naturally fall with age. As your ovaries are responsible for most of the testosterone your body makes, these levels drop as you approach menopause, and your ovaries produce fewer hormones.

As well as age, low testosterone levels can be caused by:

• early menopause
• any medications you take to manage side effects of the menopause
• removal of the ovaries or other problems with these
• problems with the adrenal glands
• an underactive pituitary gland (hypopituitarism)

Common symptoms of low testosterone in women can include:

• low sex drive
• muscle weakness
• lack of energy or fatigue
• low mood and depression
• headaches

Over a long period of time, women may also experience:

• memory problems
• heart disease
• loss of bone density (osteoporosis)

These symptoms are more commonly linked to other conditions like the menopause, depression, and thyroid problems. Your doctor may need to rule these out before prescribing testosterone treatment to improve your sex drive.

When you request treatment through us, your doctor will ask you about your medical history.

You can request testosterone treatment to improve your sex drive through us if you:

• are a woman
• are over 40 years old and under 70 years old
• are either perimenopausal or postmenopausal, which means you’ve not had a period for 12 months in a row
• are currently using a Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) gel or patch, and have done so for at least 3 months
• have a low sex drive not caused by other factors

The medical term for a low sex drive in women is Female Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder (SIAD), previously known as Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSSD).

The symptoms of SIAD include:

• having less interest in sex
• having fewer sexual thoughts
• no longer initiating sex or responding to your partner’s attempts to do so
• responding less to sexual cues such as physical intimacy or pornography
• feeling less pleasure or sensation during sex

To be diagnosed with SIAD, you should have these symptoms most or all of the time, and have experienced these for longer than 6 months.

You also need to meet any testosterone testing requirements to request treatment (see above, ‘How can I check my testosterone levels?’).

You can order our home testosterone test kit to check your testosterone levels. This is a total testosterone finger prick blood test which you can carry out yourself.

1. Order your test kit, and choose either home delivery or collection from your local Post Office
2. When your kit arrives, follow the instructions to collect your sample
3. Post your sample to our UK based lab (postage is free)
4. One of our doctors will send your results and follow up advice to you through your secure account within 2 to 3 days of the lab receiving your sample

Otherwise you can book an appointment with your GP to get tested.

To request testosterone treatment through us, you must get your testosterone levels tested:

• within 3 months before starting treatment, to check your levels are not too high and this is safe to begin
• 3 months after starting treatment
• once a year going forward

We will need proof of these test results to continue prescribing treatment. We will automatically have access to your results if you order our home test kit to check your testosterone levels.

Treatment for low testosterone (testosterone replacement therapy, or TRT) typically comes in the form of:

• gels
• creams
• implants placed under skin, although this is unavailable in the UK

The same treatments are prescribed to men but at higher doses since their levels are generally much higher than women's.

We offer the daily treatments:

• Testim gel 1%
• Testogel 2%

Testim gel comes in three 5ml tubes. These should last 30 days in total.

Testogel comes in three sachets and should last 24 days in total. You need to use roughly an eighth of a sachet each time.

Both are safe treatments to increase sex drive in women, although this is an ‘off label’ use of these products. This just means a medication is used in a different way than it was originally licensed for.

You can request these testosterone treatments through us, either to begin or continue treatment. A doctor will check that treatment is suitable for you. As part of this, they will

• rule out any other factors or conditions that might be affecting your sex drive
• check that your testosterone levels are not too high

If you’re not sure which treatment is right for you, you can ask our doctors for advice before requesting treatment. Just send them a private message through your account.

You should apply testosterone gel to any area of your body without hair. This could be your bicep, abdomen, or upper thigh. It’s recommended that you rotate which areas you apply this to.

How to apply testosterone gel

1. Make sure the area is clean and dry
2. Apply a thin layer of gel to the area
3. Rub the Testim gel in until none is left on your skin whereas you need to wait 3 to 5 minutes for Testogel to dry
4. Wash your hands and avoid skin to skin contact with others so you don't transfer the gel to them
5. Do not wash the area for 2 to 3 hours after applying the gel

Your doctor will provide further instructions when they prescribe treatment including where, when, and how much gel to apply. If you have any questions once you receive your treatment, you can message our doctors through your account, free of charge.

There is no time limit on how long a doctor can prescribe testosterone treatment to you for as long as it’s safe and continues to be effective. This is something that you can discuss with your doctor.

Remember that you need to check your testosterone levels at regular periods while using treatment (see above, ‘How can I check my testosterone levels?’).

It can take 3 to 6 months to see whether testosterone treatment is effective in boosting your sex drive. Your doctor will continue to monitor your testosterone levels to ensure treatment is still suitable.

The most common side effects of testosterone treatment in women include:

• acne
• excess hair growth on your face and chest
• weight gain

Rare side effects include:

• your voice getting deeper
• hair loss on your head (alopecia)
• your clitoris becoming enlarged or swollen

Reducing your dosage or stopping treatment altogether can reverse these side effects. It’s also important to regularly check your testosterone levels through testing to ensure these don’t get too high.

Women produce testosterone in a number of areas of their body. The ovaries produce the majority of this hormone. Other areas, like the adrenal glands and fat cells, produce testosterone too.

For women, testosterone levels play an important role in:

• increasing sex drive
• boosting fertility
• producing blood cells
• distributing muscle mass and fat
• developing healthy bones
• maintaining energy levels

If your testosterone levels are low, you don't have to seek treatment to boost these. It is perfectly normal for testosterone levels to decline as women get older.

One of the key reasons for checking your testosterone levels is to make sure these are not too high before starting testosterone treatment.

There are many other factors that can impact sex drive other than low testosterone levels. These include:

• relationship issues such as intimacy problems or not understanding your partner’s sexual needs (and vice versa)
• significant life events like divorce or separation
• psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, stress, or past negative sexual experiences
• other medications you take such as antidepressants
• lifestyle and diet like how much alcohol you drink and whether you smoke
• other hormonal changes caused by pregnancy or breastfeeding

Your doctor will need to rule these out before they can prescribe testosterone treatment to improve your sex drive.