Why is testosterone important for women? For both men and women, testosterone plays a key role in the development and maintenance of muscle mass, strength, energy levels, and bone density.
Studies have reported that women undergoing testosterone replacement experienced reduced symptoms of fatigue and depression. They also experienced increased sex drive and better mood. Some other benefits were stronger bones, enhanced muscle, and fat-free mass [1].
A sufficient level of testosterone can help women achieve a healthy body composition. More lean muscle mass and less body fat is the ultimate goal. Testosterone therapy for women is pointing to a positive effect on the skeleton as well.
It can sometimes take a few months for the full effects of testosterone to work; a 3-6 month trial is often recommended.
Testosterone is essential for contributing to a woman's sexual well-being by boosting libido and supporting reproductive health. In addition to that, testosterone is also necessary for the development of new blood cells. Without enough testosterone, women may experience fatigue, muscle weakness, and mood changes.
The safety concerns of testosterone therapy include the potential for developing hirsutism, acne, behavioural and personality changes, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, hepatotoxicity, and potentially detrimental effects on cardiovascular health and bone health.
Low levels of testosterone in females may result in: Decrease in sexual desire or libido. Decrease in sexual thoughts or fantasies. Difficulty reaching orgasm.
Adults—At first, 75 milligrams (mg) injected under the skin once a week. Your doctor may adjust your dose as needed. Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
Role in sexual desire and arousal
Estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone all affect sexual desire and arousal. Having higher levels of estrogen in the body promotes vaginal lubrication and increases sexual desire.
Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to naturally boost your levels of testosterone. The best nutrients to increase levels of testosterone are protein, zinc, magnesium, B vitamins particularly vitamin B6 and Omega-3 essential fatty acids.
Results: Animal and preliminary human studies suggest that testosterone may facilitate erection by acting as vasodilator of the penile arterioles and cavernous sinusoids. Following castration, most, but not all, men had partial or complete loss of erection.
There may also be a connection between testosterone levels and the function of serotonin. A decrease in serotonin activity in the brain is linked to feelings of depression. Testosterone may play a role in serotonin reuptake in the brain, improving its activity and your overall mood.
Testosterone may actually make you more attractive to women (which can help quench that extensive sex drive). This is partially because of the masculine-feminine dynamic. Estrogen gives women their feminine qualities, while testosterone causes more masculine qualities.
Testosterone is one of the hormones that physiologically stimulate the male sex drive.
And how do you go about it? If you are healthy, most experts agree that HRT is safe to use at the lowest dose that helps for the shortest time needed. If you're 59 or older, or have been on hormones for 5 years, you should talk to your doctor about quitting.
When you stimulate erogenous zones, it can speed up climax and enhance arousal. Everyone has sensitive touchpoints or erogenous zones on their bodies. The seven most erogenous zones on a woman are the ears, fingertips and palms, nipples, inner thighs, clitoris, A-spot, and the bottom of the feet.
However, recent studies have begun to investigate oxytocin's role in various behaviors, including orgasm, social recognition, bonding, and maternal behavior. For this reason, it is now sometimes referred to as the “love hormone” and many such names described earlier.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have approved two drugs — flibanserin (Addyi) and bremelanotide (Vyleesi) — to address low desire or arousal in females. However, both are approved for use only in people who have not yet entered menopause.
Arousal Cream, which may also go by the name of Scream Cream, is a topical cream that, when applied to the clitoris and/or external genitalia, can increase blood flow to the applied area and has been reported to improve sensitivity and rates of orgasm.
Medications like sildenafil (Viagra) or tadalafil (Cialis) may improve sexual function and enhance orgasm in some women. Hormonal therapies, like topical testosterone, can also help with sexual function.
What happens if a woman takes Viagra? Just as Viagra helps improve blood flow for an erection, it may improve blood flow in the female reproductive parts. When this happens, it may cause more sensitivity and stimulation, causing the person taking it to become more aroused.
This is because after the rush of orgasm, dopamine levels drop below baseline, similar to what happens during withdrawal from drugs of abuse. Low dopamine levels are associated with depression, low energy, lack of ambition, social anxiety, among others (Dailly et al., 2004).