Believe it or not, testosterone for women is vital for their health and well-being.
Low testosterone in women along with symptoms it causes has been downplayed and brushed aside for years because this hormone was always associated with "male-ness." Nowadays, it's becoming more mainstream and accepted that women indeed can suffer from a deficiency of this hormone and such a deficiency can seriously impact their health.
The three primary sex hormones circulating in a woman's body are oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. But for the sake of this article, we are only interested in the problem of low testosterone in women.
Testosterone hormone is manufactured naturally by the ovaries and the adrenal glands.
Whereas the first two sex hormones (meaning oestrogen and progesterone) drop dramatically at menopause, the decline of testosterone in women is a gradual process occurring from the ages of 20 to 40.
By age 40, the testosterone in women is half of what it was at age 20. Menopause does not change testosterone levels. However, removal of the ovaries does cause testosterone levels to drop by as much as 50 per cent.
Symptoms of low testosterone in women include loss of sexual desire, lack of sexual responsiveness and weaker orgasms. Other manifestations are lack of energy, decrease in strength and endurance, and diminishing ability to perform work. It can also cause the bones to weaken and heighten the risk for developing osteoporosis.
Obviously, based on the potential symptoms above, inadequate amounts of this hormone can lead to less enjoyment in life. A surprising and lesser known fact about having low testosterone for women is that it causes fat cells to store more fat through a surplus of what are termed alpha receptors and a lack of beta receptors in the fat cells.
Testosterone replacement therapy can be utilized to treat low testosterone in women just as it can in men. One factor that must be taken into consideration is that naturally occurring levels of testosterone for women are only one tenth to one twentieth of that of a man's. While men normally produce 20 ml per day, women only average production of around 2 ml per day.
Several methods are employed to treat female testosterone deficiency. Testosterone patches have been developed. These patches are new and quite effective.
Sublingual tablets can be placed under the tongue. Or a topical gel can be applied to clean dry skin to address the problem. This second form of therapy has the advantage that it is released 24 hours a day. A thick gel is also available to be applied in a lentil (pea) size to the vulva area to treat low testosterone in women an hour before bedtime.
Intramuscular injection has been used since the 1940's. This form is very effective but has the disadvantage of needing to be repeated every two weeks and can be painful. Also it does not release in a constant manner with time. One way to supplement testosterone in women is through the use of testosterone pellets. These pellets are inserted under the skin of the lower abdomen with a 1 to 2 cm incision. This form of enhancing testosterone in women needs to be repeated every 120 days.
Therapy for low testosterone in women will increase feelings of well-being, sense of personal power and sex drive. The supplementation of testosterone in women helps make women more easily sexually aroused, allows them to enjoy intercourse better and increases frequency of orgasms.
Increasing levels of testosterone in women helps promote bone growth and symptoms such as vaginal dryness, atrophy and vasomotor symptoms may be relieved. In some cases, treating low testosterone for women can lessen depression and may even enhance cognitive ability.
While estrogen therapy is a hot topic of discussion among women undergoing menopause, the care of low testosterone in the fairer sex through testosterone replacement therapy needs to take an important place in the conversation too.
If you suspect you are suffering from low testosterone, talk to your doctor carefully about the pros and cons of each type of prescription testosterone replacement therapy.
Natural means to address low testosterone also exist, but are outside the scope of this article and more information can be found out about these methods by visiting our website below.
In conclusion, although much is still not known, the fact is that treating testosterone in women as a serious hormone deficiency is a key to increasing a woman's quality of life from middle-age onwards
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