Low libido, fatigue and depression are all symptoms of low testosterone in women. But there are many reasons for what can cause very low testosterone in females and how to stop this happening. It is no simple task to identify the cause of individual cases but some generic causes may relate to many people.
Theory
Testosterone is the hormone responsible for muscle and bone development. Males have a higher level than women during adolescent years, which leads to a more muscular stature. This continues into adulthood and is the main reason why males have a bigger muscle mass than women. Although women do have a lower testosterone level, very low levels can have significant implications such as low libido and depression.
Low Progesterone Levels
Testosterone is dependent on levels of progesterone, as progesterone converts into androstenedione from which testosterone is produced. Therefore when the body has low levels of progesterone it cannot sufficiently produce enough testosterone for normal physical functions. This can happen naturally, women above 40 years old tend to have lower levels, or it can be linked to a hormone deficiency which would need to be medically diagnosed.
Oral Contraceptive
Oral Contraceptive (the pill) suppresses the production of sex hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Taking the pill for a long period of time can upset the body's balance of producing the sex hormones naturally. According to the Journal of Sex Medicine, women who used the pill may be exposed to long term problems with low testosterone. A protein called sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) is found in the pill and binds with testosterone to stop it being used. Users of the pill have shown continued high levels of SHBG in their body after stopping use.
Age
Age is a major cause of lower testosterone levels, it is not directly linked to menopause though. By the age of 40, the level of testosterone in women can be as low as half and is a gradual process from the age of 20 to 40. Menopause itself does not lower testosterone levels but it does lower estrogen and progesterone, and therefore lower progesterone links to low testosterone as mentioned above. Removing the ovaries at a later stage in life will also decrease the level of testosterone in the body.
Organ Failure
Sometimes low testosterone levels can be caused by the organs that produce testosterone not functioning correctly and this is called primary hypogonadism. In women, this is primarily the ovaries, the possible problems could be premature ovarian failure or if both the ovaries have been removed. Ovarian failure relates to the ovaries not producing eggs at the correct time or sometimes not at all. Also the pituitary gland in the brain may be malfunctioning and not regulating the correct amount of testosterone to be produced.
