You started estrogen, and the night sweats finally eased up. That part feels like a win. But by 2 p.m. you’re running on fumes, you keep losing your train of thought, and your interest in sex hasn’t come back.
If that sounds familiar, you’re not imagining it. You may still be searching for answers, and a growing body of research points to a hormone most people link with men: testosterone.
A study published in 2026 looked at women already on estrogen who added a small dose of testosterone. The results shine new light on the benefits of testosterone in females, and they’re worth a closer look. Below, we’ll walk through what the study found, where the research still has gaps, and how to tell if it’s worth bringing up at your next visit.
What Does Testosterone Do in Women?
It may come as a surprise, but testosterone isn’t only a “male” hormone. Your ovaries and adrenal glands make it every day, just in much smaller amounts than a man’s body does.
It does a lot of quiet work. Testosterone plays a role in your sex drive, your mood and thinking, your bone and muscle health, and your energy.
Estrogen tends to fall fast around menopause, but testosterone is different. It decreases slowly over many years, so the changes are easy to miss or blame on something else.
New Study: Testosterone Therapy for Women on Estrogen
Researchers reviewed the health records of 279 women with an average age of 56. Their study was published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine in August 2026.
Every woman had used an estrogen cream, gel, or patch for at least three months. Then they started a testosterone cream or gel. Before starting and again about three months later, each woman filled out the same symptom survey.
What Got Better
Of the 24 symptoms on the survey, 15 improved in a meaningful way. Here’s a closer look:
| Symptom area | What changed for women in the study |
|---|---|
| Energy | Less tiredness and better sleep |
| Muscles and joints | Fewer aches and less tension |
| Mood | Less anxiety and irritability, and more joy in everyday things |
| Thinking | Sharper focus and fewer memory slips |
| Sex and bladder health | Less vaginal dryness (59% better), more desire (54.8% better), and fewer bladder issues |
| Hot flashes | Fewer hot flashes (54.9% better) and night sweats |
What Stayed the Same
Some symptoms didn’t budge. Tingling, numbness, headaches, and ringing in the ears stayed about the same. So did a racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, and dizziness.
That’s helpful information. If those symptoms are bothering you, something else may be behind them, and your provider can help you find out what.
Benefits of Testosterone in Females: Where the Evidence Stands
This study is hopeful, but it’s just one piece of a bigger puzzle. And there were some limitations in this study:
- The researchers looked back at past records instead of running a new trial
- There was no group of women who skipped testosterone to compare against
- The follow-up was short
- Women rated their own symptoms
- Some had their estrogen dose changed during the same window.
So what do we know for sure? The strongest research backs testosterone therapy for low libido that causes distress after menopause. Benefits for energy, mood, muscle, and memory look promising, and bigger studies are working to confirm them.
Testosterone Cream for Women: How It’s Usually Given
In the study, every woman used testosterone she rubbed into her skin. For women, testosterone is most often given as a cream or gel. Other hormones in your plan may come in different forms, like pills or injections.
Your Hormones by Design provider will help you choose the right type and dose for you. The goal is to bring your levels back into the normal range for women, not to go higher.
Is Testosterone Safe for Women?
When the dose keeps your levels in the normal female range, research hasn’t tied testosterone to serious problems. The side effects people notice most are mild, like acne or extra hair growth. Your provider will go over less common effects with you and how the right dose helps prevent them.
Researchers are still learning how testosterone affects heart health and breast cancer risk over the long term. For now, it’s usually not recommended for women with heart disease, liver disease, or cancers that are sensitive to hormones.
Our monthly monitoring and precise dose adjustments are designed to minimize any risks and ensure safety.
Is Testosterone Therapy for Women FDA-Approved?
Right now, no testosterone product in the US is FDA-approved for women. Because major medical groups support it for low desire that causes distress, providers prescribe it “off-label,” usually at a small fraction of the dose men use in their BHRT plans.
That could change. In September 2026, the FDA held a public workshop on testosterone for women in menopause. It was the agency’s first public look at the topic in about 20 years. Experts talked through the research and the open questions, and the FDA said it’s ready to work with drug makers on products made for women.
Approval is likely a few years out. Still, it’s a clear sign that women’s hormone health is getting more attention.
Signs of Low Testosterone in Females
Common signs of low testosterone in women include:
- Low sex drive
- Feeling worn out
- Mood swings
- Brain fog
- Losing muscle or strength
- Trouble sleeping
Many of these overlap with low estrogen, thyroid problems, and everyday stress. There’s also no official “low” number for women. That’s why Hormones by Design providers look at your lab results and your full health story together.
Testosterone Therapy for Women in TX
At Hormones by Design, hormones are what we do. We start with lab work to see where your levels really are, then talk through your symptoms with you. From there, your provider builds a bioidentical hormone therapy plan made for you, and we check in and retest as you go.
Already on BHRT but still not feeling like yourself? Let’s find out why.
Sources
Elliott B, Klock SM, Hesse J. FDA workshop signals potential approval pathway for testosterone therapy in menopausal women. Holland & Knight. Published September 21, 2026. Accessed October 19, 2026. https://www.hklaw.com/en/insights/publications/2026/09/fda-workshop-signals-potential-approval-pathway-testosterone-therapy
Fitch J. FDA holding public meeting on testosterone use in menopausal women. Contemporary OB/GYN. Published September 17, 2026. Accessed October 19, 2026. https://www.contemporaryobgyn.net/view/fda-holding-public-meeting-on-testosterone-use-in-menopausal-women
Hernandez BS, Boyne AM, Fleming B, et al. Improvement in multiple organ systems following testosterone replacement therapy in women previously on standard hormone replacement therapy. J Sex Med. 2026;23(9):qdag116. https://doi.org/10.1093/jsxmed/qdag116
Should women get treatment for low testosterone? Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials. Published September 22, 2025. Accessed October 19, 2026. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/testosterone-in-women
Tyagi V, Scordo M, Yoon RS, Liporace FA, Greene LW. Revisiting the role of testosterone: are we missing something? Rev Urol. 2017;19(1). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5434832/
