Cate Hall’s sex drive tanked when she hit 40. After months of trying—and failing—to boost it, she read a pamphlet in a doctor’s office about the effects of low testosterone in women, including low libido, lack of energy, loss of strength and muscle tone, and cognitive difficulties, like trouble concentrating. “I just had sort of an ‘aha’ moment,” says Hall, a 41-year-old in Berkeley, Calif. “It clicked that that might be what was going on, because there was such a good match between the things I was experiencing and the symptoms of low testosterone.”

Hall scheduled an appointment with a specialist, and in 2024 started testosterone replacement therapy (TRT)—receiving regular small doses of the hormone that’s almost synonymous with male health. Within about a week, she started noticing improvements across most aspects of her life. “The cognitive effects were very dramatic,” she says; it quickly resolved her brain fog and memory problems. “I feel sharper now mentally than I did 10 years ago.” She has less anxiety and more confidence, gets at least eight hours of sleep a night (compared to six pre-testosterone), and has welcomed back the energy she needs to exercise regularly. She’s also lost 6% of her body fat since starting TRT—and her libido improved. “I honestly think it has been, by far, the biggest quality-of-life improvement I've ever made for myself,” she says.

Hall’s story isn’t unique: Cisgender women across the internet are touting the anecdotal benefits of testosterone therapy, and some experts say those stories match what they’re hearing in their offices. Many describe being asked about TRT multiple times a day. “There’s been increasing attention to it,” says Dr. Kathleen Jordan, chief medical officer of Midi Health, a virtual care clinic focused on navigating perimenopause and menopause. “We call it the ‘book club effect’—women who have tremendous outcomes share it with their friends, and then we see friends of our patients coming in to inquire about similar solutions.”

But can testosterone therapy for women really lead to such profound health improvements? We asked experts to explain its potential benefits—and limitations.

What exactly is testosterone therapy?
Contrary to popular perception, testosterone isn’t simply a male hormone. While women have smaller amounts than men, testosterone plays an important role in regulating the menstrual cycle, maintaining bone density and muscle mass, and enhancing cognitive health, mood, sexual function, and energy. “After 30, our testosterone levels decrease,” Jordan says. “And by the time we're in midlife, in the premenopause and menopausal phase, they’re down to about 25% of what they were when we were younger.”

Enter testosterone replacement therapy. More than 30 different testosterone products are approved for men by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but the agency has never approved testosterone for women. However, doctors can still prescribe it off-label to women they feel would benefit. Historically, testosterone was used in combination with estrogen and progesterone, hormones that decline with age. But these days, it’s also prescribed as a standalone treatment, says Dr. Traci A. Kurtzer, a gynecologist at the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, opening the door to people who can’t or don’t want to take other hormones for various reasons.