Let's Talk About Sex Pt. 2: Testosterone & Women's Sexual Health

TESTOSTERONE - MYTHS & MISCONCEPTIONS

As discussed in our previous post, so many women have some form of sexual dysfunction. It has even been reported that the majority of women - up to nearly 87% according to one scientific literature review - suffer from sexual challenges, whether it’s a declining interest in sex or an increased difficulty reaching orgasm.   So what’s to be done? One component of women’s sexual dysfunction that is garnering increased focus is testosterone.

Adequate levels of testosterone are essential for women’s physical, mental, and emotional health. Evidence on testosterone use in women is nuanced and is something that we discuss in detail in the office. Testosterone can be used off-label in women for menopausal symptoms and is also considered appropriate to be used to treat hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD).

Many hear the word “testosterone” and immediately think of men. However testosterone - or the lack of it - has a significant effect on women as well.  According to a review of the subject, testosterone is essential for physical and mental health in women. Another study concluded that “Continuous testosterone alone, delivered by a subcutaneous implant, was effective for the relief of hormone deficiency symptoms in both pre-and post-menopausal patients.”

Despite these conclusions, many myths remain about testosterone and female sexual dysfunction. Analyzing and dispelling these misconceptions is important to help educate women about the role this important hormone plays in their sexual health.

According to a leading review on the subject, the top myths and misconceptions about testosterone and women include: 

1. Testosterone is a “male” hormone. While men do have higher levels, quantitatively, testosterone is the most abundant active sex hormone in women.

2. Testosterone’s only role in women is sex drive and libido. Today, testosterone therapy is used to treat a number of pre-and post-menopausal symptoms including:

   1. Dysphoric mood (anxiety, depression)

   2. Fatigue

   3. Bone or muscle loss

   4. Changes in cognition

   5. Memory loss

   6. Insomnia

   7. Hot flashes

   8. Pain

   9. Urinary challenges

   10. Vaginal dryness/painful intercourse

3. Testosterone masculinizes females. Testosterone is dose-dependent - in lower doses testosterone can even ‘stimulate femininity.’ Very high doses of testosterone are used to treat female to male transgender patients (i.e. to increase facial hair growth, etc.) - however true masculinization is not possible. 

4. Testosterone causes hoarseness and voice changes. There is simply no evidence that testosterone causes hoarseness - there is no physiological mechanism by which it could be expected to do so. Rather, hoarseness is most commonly caused by inflammatory-related changes.

5. Testosterone causes hair loss. There is no evidence that testosterone or testosterone therapy leads to hair loss. Hair loss is a multifactorial, complicated, genetically determined process that is poorly understood.

There are several other myths - that testosterone has adverse effects on the heart, that it causes liver damage or aggression or increases the risk of breast cancer, and that it is unsafe. However, none of these misconceptions are documented in scientific literature.  Adequate levels of testosterone are essential for women’s physical, mental, and emotional health. 

Thankfully, the role of testosterone in women’s health is becoming more clear. An excellent book on the subject, The Secret Female Hormone by Dr. Kathy Maupin, sheds more light on the effectiveness of testosterone. In our next post on this subject, we will discuss testosterone therapy - as well as other treatments that can address women’s sexual dysfunction and help bring about a healthy sex life to women of all ages!

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR SEXUAL HEALTH - JUST GIVE THE OFFICE A CALL AT 425-598-0607.

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