Low Libido in Women: Can Testosterone Help?
Are you a woman with low libido or sexual desire? Have you brought it up with your provider, only to feel brushed off or told it's "just part of getting older"? You're not alone, and you're not imagining it. Low sexual desire is a common concern for women, and one of the most overlooked.
Here's the thing 👉🏼 libido in women is complicated. Desire can be shaped by how safe and connected you feel in your relationship, your stress level, how well you're sleeping, and how you feel about your body. It can also be affected by medications (antidepressants and birth control are common culprits) and by medical conditions like thyroid disease, depression, and the hormonal shifts of perimenopause and menopause. In other words, there's rarely a single "fix," and a good evaluation looks at the whole picture.
That said, hormones are an important piece of the puzzle. Women make testosterone too, and it plays a role in desire, arousal, and sexual satisfaction. Our levels gradually decline with age (and drop even more sharply if the ovaries are removed). So it's no surprise that testosterone therapy for women is having a moment. You may have seen it popping up in your social media feed, on podcasts, and in blogs. And unlike a lot of wellness trends, this one is backed by solid research.
The strongest evidence for testosterone in women is for hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). HSDD is a persistent lack of sexual thoughts or interest in sex that causes you real distress and isn't better explained by another medical condition, a medication, or problems in your relationship.
A 2019 review of 36 clinical trials with more than 8,000 women found that testosterone improved desire, arousal, orgasm, and satisfaction, and reduced sexual distress, at doses that keep levels in the normal female range. Major medical societies agree that HSDD in postmenopausal women is the best-supported reason to prescribe testosterone. Research in premenopausal women is more limited, so we'd talk through whether it makes sense for you.
Curious whether HSDD might apply to you?
➡️ Take the brief 5-question Decreased Sexual Desire Screener.
Your sexual health matters. It's tied to your relationships, your confidence, and your overall quality of life, and it deserves real attention, not a shrug. It also deserves a thoughtful approach. For the right woman, testosterone can be a wonderful tool when it's prescribed at the right dose and monitored carefully. And you don't need to spend a small fortune on pellets. Testosterone creams and gels are affordable, easy to adjust, and closest to what was used in the research. Just keep in mind that testosterone isn't a cure-all. It works best as part of a bigger picture that also looks at sleep, stress, medications, relationship factors, and your other hormones.
If low desire has been weighing on you, let's talk. You deserve a provider who takes your concerns seriously and helps you find what works for you.
Are you ready to take a more PROACTIVE approach to your health? I can help! As a board-certified Integrative & Functional Medicine physician and Certified Menopause Specialist, I can help you “think outside of the box and dig deeper with a variety of laboratory testing to help uncover the root causes of your symptoms, and create a plan personalized for you that goes beyond the prescription pad to incorporate diet/lifestyle change, nutritional supplements, holistic therapies, health coaching and more! Contact us to get started!