Low Testosterone In Women: Symptoms, Causes, And How To Treat It
May 30, 2025 • 7 min read
Published on May 30, 2025 | Update on May 23, 2025
May 30, 2025
Welltech Editorial Team
Table of Contents
Testosterone, the primary male sex hormone, is necessary for both male and female health. It is primarily involved in developing male sex characteristics but also maintains various body processes in females like bone and muscle health, mood, and libido.
While testosterone is often associated with men, it is also crucial for female health. Low levels of testosterone can cause a variety of symptoms in women, including depression, low libido, fatigue, and more. Let’s discuss the role, causes, symptoms, and treatment of low testosterone in women in detail.
So, what role does testosterone play in the female body, or is it only important for males?
Testosterone is involved in many important bodily functions in females. From maintaining physical and mental health to contributing to hormonal balance and ovarian function, testosterone is necessary for a woman’s overall physical, reproductive, sexual, and emotional well-being.
The functions of testosterone in females include:
Testosterone helps reuptake serotonin, the “happy” neurotransmitter in the brain, improving overall mood, well-being, and energy in females.
Testosterone aids in improving cognitive functions and cognitive performance in women and men.
A balance of testosterone hormone in females helps maintain the functioning of ovaries and other reproductive or fertility hormones, like estrogen and progesterone.
In both females and males, testosterone is involved in maintaining sexual response. It stimulates sexual desire, arousal, orgasm, and overall sexual satisfaction.
Testosterone is also involved in stimulating muscle growth and bone formation by activating osteoblasts and preventing bone loss.
The normal female testosterone levels by age are:
The signs of low testosterone in women include:
So, what causes low testosterone in women? Let’s discuss them in detail.
The major cause of low testosterone in women is age. When a female reaches 30 years, testosterone levels start to decline by 1% each year.
Hence, as a result of testosterone reduction with age, a woman may begin to experience low sex drive, mood swings, and other symptoms, like depression, fatigue, and more.
The second major cause of low testosterone in women is menopause. By the time a female reaches menopause, testosterone decreases by 50% of its initial levels. So, during menopause, which typically appears between the ages of 45-50, the testosterone level begins to decline at a faster rate than ever before.
The removal of ovaries due to cancer or other disease, like ovarian failure, may also cause low testosterone in women, as a female’s ovaries are responsible for producing around 25% of the body’s testosterone.
A healthy diet is necessary for maintaining hormonal balance. An unhealthy diet may lead to hormonal imbalance through insulin sensitivity, inflammation, and stress on the adrenal glands.
Hence, inadequate nutrition, including intake of vitamins and proteins can impair testosterone output and cause low testosterone levels in females.
Several medications can also cause low testosterone in females as a side effect, like birth control pills, long-term use of corticosteroids, oral estrogen, statins, and opioids.
The treatment options for low testosterone in women include:
Low testosterone can be improved with a healthy diet and lifestyle. For example, regular 30-minute moderate-intensity exercise, maintaining a healthy diet enriched with vitamins, vegetables, fruits, eggs, red meat, and fatty fish; and limiting carbohydrate, alcohol, and calorie intake can help boost your overall hormonal profile and improve low testosterone.
Moreover, ensuring a sound, full night’s sleep and taking measures to reduce stress with stress-reducing practices, like meditation, yoga, and mindfulness, is crucial to improving your overall hormonal balance and testosterone levels.
Many underlying conditions, like side effects from medications, ovarian disease, adrenal disorders, and other hormonal imbalances, can cause low testosterone levels.
Hence, it is crucial to give thought to both your reproductive health and overall health. An underlying disease could be responsible for a low level of testosterone.
Testosterone therapy or hormone replacement therapy contains testosterone that is administered in the form of drugs like patches, injections, and gels to replenish the low levels of testosterone in the body.
It is typically administered when the condition is severe and the symptoms of low testosterone become persistent and unbearable or interfere with the quality of life.
Excessive testosterone can cause male-related side effects in women. You should consult your healthcare provider to determine the safest and most effective treatment method for low testosterone.
As testosterone is primarily a male sex hormone, its excessive levels in females can lead to many unwanted or male-related side effects. Hence, proper monitoring is crucial when treating low testosterone in women.
The side effects of testosterone in women or the risk of excessive testosterone therapy can include:
Moderate but bearable changes in mood, sex drive, and physical health are normal while experiencing a low testosterone level with age.
However, if you are still in your reproductive years, i.e., below 40, and experience symptoms of low testosterone, or if they become intense, unbearable, and interfere with your daily life, it is crucial to consult your doctor.
Low testosterone levels can be diagnosed through testosterone blood tests and evaluating low testosterone symptoms in women, like decreased sex drive, hot flashes, fatigue, loss of hair, etc.
Yes, with age, the testosterone level decreases, and by the time a woman reaches menopause, the testosterone level halves.
Yes. High stress can increase the production of the stress hormone cortisol, which can cause mood changes, reduced sex drive, and irregular periods. Moreover, high cortisol levels from chronic and persistent stress can also disrupt the balance of reproductive hormones and cause low testosterone in women.
Yes, dietary and lifestyle changes can help boost testosterone levels in women. For example, taking steps to manage stress; increasing vitamin D intake with foods – like egg yolks, red meat, liver, and oily fish, like salmon, sardines, and mackerel – maintaining adequate 8-hour daily sleep; and exercising for 30-45 minutes daily,, can help boost a women’s testosterone level.
How is low testosterone diagnosed in women?Testosterone can be diagnosed with a blood test that shows the total testosterone level in your blood and by evaluating symptoms of low testosterone, like mood changes, reduced sex drive, and fatigue.
Testosterone is a male sex hormone, but it plays a crucial role in maintaining a woman’s overall health – helping with things like energy, mood, libido, cognition and more.
Low testosterone in women can cause symptoms like mood changes, depression, decreased sex drive, fatigue, and hot flashes. Hence, it is important to treat low testosterone in women. This can be done with lifestyle and dietary changes, by addressing underlying medical conditions, and balancing hormones for good physical and mental health.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!
