What Women Need to Know About Testosterone Deficiency

Women ≠ Estrogen

I know, I know… that statement might be a little bold or even shocking but there’s some pretty cool science out there that you should hear about…

A healthy young 20-year-old female has 15-20x times more testosterone than estradiol which is the most potent type of estrogen.

In women, testosterone begins its decline typically around the age of 35… In fact, a 35-40-year-old female has HALF the testosterone of a 20-year-old female. 

It is not a coincidence that around this time many women begin noticing a significant shift in their psyche, body composition, mood, sex drive, and cognition. Symptoms such as breast tenderness or depression may set in but are not necessarily related to estrogen levels like you might think. 

A diminished sense of wellbeing (largely considered the most important), low energy, physical fatigue, lack of motivation, waning self-confidence, increased fear, bone loss, decreased muscle strength, hot flashes, and insomnia are all issues that we see with androgen (testosterone) deficiency in women. Giving a woman just estrogen and progesterone is simply not enough and unfortunately can leave women feeling sub-par and not optimal. 

Now, this is what your doctor may forget or not even be aware of but it is crucial to understand… Ladies, you have testosterone receptors ALL OVER your body! Think bone, muscle, brain, heart, blood vessels, ovaries, breasts, vaginal tissue, skin, bladder, and even lungs and intestines. Testosterone has an incredibly wide and beneficial effect on your entire body. It’s not just about sex drive and libido… actually far from it!

Still with me? Okay… this is the last nerdy part of this but crucial to understanding. There is an enzyme in your body (a substance that changes one molecule into another) that converts testosterone to estrogen called aromatase. The aromatase enzyme is present in every cell that has an estrogen receptor on it! 

Why is this so important? It means that when we give testosterone to a woman, the cells that need estrogen can (and do) readily convert testosterone to estrogen. 

In my practice, I rarely need to give estrogen to a woman because of this key point! Giving testosterone alone (my favorite form is the hormone pellet) is often enough to relieve menopausal symptoms, and improve body composition, libido, memory, bone density, urinary complaints, and mood, without the risk of causing unwanted side effects related to giving too much estrogen.

Every doc who treats hormone deficiencies in women knows that if a woman has issues with any hormone it's almost ALWAYS estrogen. Women rarely have issues with testosterone especially when administered by a provider who is experienced and well-trained in administering testosterone pellet therapy. 

➡️ Click the link below to learn more about testosterone and hormone pellet therapy! You can also schedule a complimentary discovery session or an appointment at our office located in beautiful Rancho Mirage, CA. 

PMID: 21177051, 11955793, 16478814, 26277097, 23265303