Testosterone therapy for women is one of the most under-prescribed, under-researched, and under-discussed areas of hormone medicine — and one of the most transformative when done correctly. Women produce testosterone too. When levels decline (age, surgical menopause, oophorectomy, adrenal insufficiency), the effects on libido, energy, muscle mass, bone density, and cognitive function are significant and treatable.
Do Women Need Testosterone?
Yes. Women naturally produce testosterone (from ovaries and adrenals) at approximately 10-15% of male levels — typically 15-70 ng/dL. After menopause (particularly surgical menopause with ovary removal), testosterone levels can drop 50% or more. This decline correlates with: reduced libido (hypoactive sexual desire disorder — the most common female sexual complaint in medical practice), loss of lean muscle mass and increased visceral fat, fatigue and reduced exercise tolerance, bone density loss (testosterone contributes to bone formation independent of estrogen), and cognitive effects including brain fog and reduced motivation.
Clinical Evidence for Women’s Testosterone Therapy
- Libido: The strongest and most consistent finding. Multiple RCTs show testosterone therapy significantly improves sexual desire, arousal, and satisfaction in postmenopausal women with HSDD. Effect sizes are moderate to large.
- Body composition: Testosterone increases lean body mass and reduces fat mass in postmenopausal women — effects are dose-dependent and consistent across studies
- Bone density: Testosterone increases bone mineral density in postmenopausal women independent of estrogen therapy
- Mood and cognition: Evidence is emerging but positive — small studies show improvement in mood, well-being, and cognitive function
Women’s TRT Dosing (Critical Difference from Men’s TRT)
Female testosterone dosing is approximately 10-20% of male dosing — typically 5-20mg/week (vs 100-200mg/week for men). The goal is physiological replacement to pre-menopausal female levels (total T 40-70 ng/dL), not supraphysiological levels. Doses above 20mg/week risk virilization: voice deepening, clitoral enlargement, facial/body hair growth. These are dose-dependent and largely reversible if caught early.
Viking’s Women’s HRT Program
Unlike most TRT clinics that treat men exclusively, Viking Alternative Medicine treats both men and women. Our women’s program includes: comprehensive baseline labs (total T, free T, SHBG, sensitive E2, progesterone, thyroid, DHEA-S, CBC, CMP), conservative starting doses titrated to symptom resolution at 6-week follow-up, progesterone co-therapy when indicated (endometrial protection), and ongoing monitoring with the same comprehensive panel standard that our male patients receive.
Viking Alternative Medicine: (210) 826-8900 | almost every state | vikingalternative.com — women’s HRT specialists.
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