Testosterone (also known as the T hormone) is an essential hormone that is present in humans. In men, the levels of testosterone reach a high point in puberty and early adulthood. When we reach 30, however, these levels begin to decline by 0.5%-2% yearly.

At 40, this decline is believed to be in the range of 5-20%. For some men, this decline doesn’t affect their quality of life and is considered a normal consequence of aging.
However, in some cases a decrease in testosterone can lead to changes in health and well-being, and these changes could be distressing for some people. This is known as andropause, which is the male equivalent of menopause seen in women.
The symptomatology of these changes are vast;

some of the most common symptoms of low test are:

• Decline in sexual performance
• Decrease in strength and muscle mass
• Increase in body fat, especially around the abdomen
• Decrease in energy and exercise endurance
• Changes in mood and well-being
• Decrease in bone mineral density and increased risk of fractures
• Decrease in concentration and memory loss.

You might be asking yourself: “If I am a woman, why would I need testosterone replacement therapy?” We think of Testosterone as the “male” hormone and to be responsible for the development of masculine features such as a deep voice and facial hair.
As you can imagine, most of the research has been focused on men’s testosterone deficiency. This is why most doctors will not even consider supplementing testosterone for women. But wait...

 Women also produce and in fact require small amounts of testosterone

In order to regulate various aspects of their lives. For example, mood, well-being, energy, sex drive, and a healthy body composition are all dependent on this hormone. Low levels of testosterone in women can also lead to:

• Fatigue and exercise intolerance
• Weight gain, especially around the belly
• Loss of libido
• Depression and anxiety
• Osteoporosis

After reaching menopause, these symptoms can be severe. However, novel studies have shown that all of these symptoms can be treated easily with testosterone replacement therapy, with a tremendous improvements in function that can be expected.

For women, testosterone can be administered via transdermal as creams that are applied to the skin (our favorite), sublingual pills, using pellet implants, and in some cases we can also try long-acting intramuscular injections.