{
  "id": 11750208,
  "title": "Women are turning to testosterone, but what does the science actually say?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/women-are-turning-to-testosterone-but-what-does-the-science-actually",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-03T19:20:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-women-testosterone-science.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Women are increasingly turning to testosterone, but the implications of this trend remain unclear. This is due to limited scientific understanding of how the hormone affects the female body. Testosterone is typically associated with males, but women also produce it, albeit in much smaller quantities. While blood levels are about 10 to 15 times lower in women than men, the hormone remains biologically active and influences various bodily functions. Beyond sexual desire, which is well-documented as a potential benefit, the extent of testosterone's impact on women's overall health is not fully understood. This is partly because clinical trials on women are scarce, and real-world evidence often contradicts these findings. For instance, a study of 510 women in the U.K. reported improvements in mood, cognitive symptoms, and libido after four months of testosterone gel therapy. However, these results do not definitively prove that the treatment caused these changes. The slow availability of female-specific testosterone products in many countries is a significant issue. In the U.S., for example, there is still no approved testosterone product specifically for women. This gap has led some women to seek alternative methods, such as using men's testosterone gel and measuring out the appropriate dose. Despite the availability of testosterone products, long-term safety data remains limited, particularly regarding heart disease, stroke, and breast cancer. Therefore, while testosterone may offer benefits for sexual desire, more research is needed to fully understand its role in women's health and to ensure its safe use.",
  "summary": "A recent BBC report described women posing as men to obtain testosterone gel, hoping to improve their menopause symptoms because female testosterone products are not easily available to them. But why is the appetite for this predominantly male hormone exploding, and are there risks involved?",
  "key_points": [
    "Women are increasingly using testosterone, but scientific understanding is limited.",
    "Testosterone's impact on women's health is unclear, with only limited clinical trials."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}