Testosterone Therapy for Women
Specialist, Personalised Menopause Care
Testosterone is often thought of as a male hormone, yet it is also produced naturally by women in smaller amounts throughout life.
Levels gradually decline with age and during menopause.
For certain women, lower levels may be associated with:
- Reduced sexual desire
- Diminished arousal
- Lower drive or initiative
- A change in overall vitality
- Reduced muscle strength and tone
- Lower confidence and sense of wellbeing
- Brain fog
At the Online Menopause Centre, we take a thoughtful and personalised approach. Testosterone is never prescribed routinely, but considered carefully as part of your wider hormonal picture—particularly when symptoms persist despite optimised oestrogen therapy and are affecting your quality of life.
A Considered Approach to Treatment
Our Clinical Pathway
Baseline Hormone Assessment
A convenient at-home blood test establishes your baseline testosterone level and ensures safe consideration of therapy.
Specialist Review
Via a video link a menopause-trained clinician reviews your:
If testosterone therapy is appropriate, it is discussed in detail.
Personalised Prescription
Treatment typically involves a low-dose transdermal gel or cream. Doses for women are very small and carefully calibrated. The aim is to remain within the normal female physiological range.
Follow-Up Monitoring
A repeat blood test is arranged at approximately 10 weeks.
This ensures levels remain appropriate and guides ongoing care.
These effects are not experienced if testosterone levels are kept within physiological range and are reversible with adjustment.
Monitoring allows therapy to remain both safe and precise.
Safety and Monitoring
Follow-up blood testing at around 10 weeks, along with regular clinical review, ensures your treatment remains safe, effective and aligned with your symptoms. This careful monitoring allows doses to be adjusted where needed, helping you achieve the best possible outcome.
When prescribed responsibly and overseen by a specialist, testosterone therapy is generally well tolerated. Any side effects — such as mild skin changes or increased hair growth — are typically dose-related and reversible with adjustment.
Discreet and Convenient Care
Where treatment is prescribed:
- Medication is dispensed via regulated pharmacies
- Delivery is discreet and confidential
- Home blood testing minimises disruption
- Clinical support remains available
Our aim is to provide care that is both medically robust and practically convenient.
A Specialist Menopause Service
Begin with Clarity
The first step is a baseline blood test.
- Simple.
- Convenient.
- Clinically informative.
From there, we guide you carefully.
- No pressure.
- No obligation.
- Only considered medical advice.
Start with a Baseline Assessment
If you wish to explore this pathway, you may begin with your baseline hormone test. Our team will review your results and advise thoughtfully on next steps.
You do not have to accept feeling “less like yourself” as an inevitable part of menopause.
Clear guidance and specialist support are available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be using oestrogen first?
Not necessarily.
Although oestrogen remains the foundation of hormonal menopause care but other hormones including testosterone should be explored when specific symptoms remain unresolved.
Your clinician will always assess your individual circumstances before advising.
How soon might I notice a benefit?
Some women perceive changes within several weeks.
However, a thoughtful assessment of response is usually made after around 8–12 weeks.
Hormonal therapy works gradually, and responses vary between individuals.
Decisions about continuation are based on both symptom response and blood levels.
Why is monitoring required?
Monitoring is central to safe and precise prescribing.
The aim is to maintain testosterone levels within the normal physiological female range.
This allows:
- Safe dose adjustment
- Minimisation of unwanted effects
- Careful clinical oversight
A follow-up blood test is usually arranged approximately 10 weeks after starting treatment.
Is testosterone prescribed off-label?
Yes.
In the UK, most testosterone preparations used for women are prescribed off-label.
This is well-established practice in specialist menopause medicine.
Off-label prescribing means:
- The medication itself is licensed
- Its use in women is guided by clinical expertise and evidence
- Patients are fully informed before treatment begins
Your clinician will explain this clearly and answer any questions before prescribing.
What side effects can occur?
When treatment is carefully monitored and kept within the female range, testosterone is generally well tolerated.
Possible effects may include:
- Acne or increased skin oiliness
- Increased hair growth in some areas
- Scalp hair thinning in susceptible women
These effects are not experienced if testosterone levels are kept within physiological range and are reversible with adjustment.
Close monitoring helps minimise risk.
May I stop treatment if I choose to?
Yes, you may.
Testosterone therapy is always a patient-led decision made in collaboration with your clinician.
If treatment is stopped, levels gradually return to your natural baseline over time.
Your clinician can guide you should you wish to discontinue.
How is medication supplied?
Where prescribed, medication is dispensed through regulated pharmacies and delivered discreetly to your chosen address.
Packaging is confidential, and delivery is handled with care and privacy.
How quickly can I expect a response to queries?
Our clinical team aims to respond to patient enquiries promptly during working hours.
Most responses are provided within one to two working days, often sooner.
If you have concerns or experience side effects, the clinic can advise on appropriate next steps.
Is testosterone only used for low libido in women?
Low libido (reduced sexual desire) is the evidence-based reason testosterone is prescribed for women in perimenopause and menopause. It can be very effective in improving sexual desire, arousal, and sexual satisfaction when used appropriately and monitored carefully.
However, many women also notice additional benefits, particularly improvements in brain fog, mental clarity, motivation, muscle strength and fatigue. Testosterone plays a role in cognitive function, energy levels, and overall sense of wellbeing, which may explain why some women notice these wider effects.