Testosterone and DHEA for Women: Helpful or Overhyped?

Low libido, low energy, brain fog, poor motivation, and trouble building muscle can make many women wonder if they need testosterone or DHEA. But testosterone and DHEA are not usually the foundation of menopause hormone therapy. They can be useful tools for some women, but they need to be used for the right reason, at the right dose, and with appropriate monitoring. In this video, Dr. K breaks down testosterone therapy for women, DHEA supplementation, low libido, HSDD, perimenopause symptoms, menopause hormone therapy, lab testing, dosing concerns, and why estrogen and progesterone usually need to be addressed first. #testosterone #testosteronehealth #trt #DHEA #menopause #perimenopause #lowlibido #hormonehealth #lowenergy Disclaimer: This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not personal medical advice. Watching this video does not create a pharmacist-patient, clinician-patient, or provider-patient relationship. Always talk with your own qualified healthcare professional before starting, stopping, or changing any medication, supplement, hormone therapy, weight-loss treatment, diet, or exercise plan. If you have urgent symptoms or a medical emergency, seek immediate medical care. Subscribe for practical, evidence-informed videos on hormone health, metabolic health, weight loss medications, and medication education. New videos on hormone health, metabolic health, GLP-1 medications, insulin resistance, menopause, perimenopause, TRT, protein, nutrition, and practical medication topics. Comment policy: Please do not post personal medical details, lab results, medication lists, or private health information in the comments. General questions are welcome, but I cannot provide personalized medical advice in the comments. Sources: I cite sources for educational content when applicable. Video-specific references are listed above when sources were used. Works Cited American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. “Compounded Bioidentical Menopausal Hormone Therapy: ACOG Clinical Consensus No. 6.” Obstetrics & Gynecology, vol. 142, no. 5, 2023, pp. 1266–1273. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.000000000.... American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. “Female Sexual Dysfunction: ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 213.” Obstetrics & Gynecology, vol. 134, no. 1, 2019, pp. e1–e18. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.000000000.... Davis, Susan R., et al. “Global Consensus Position Statement on the Use of Testosterone Therapy for Women.” The Journal of Sexual Medicine, vol. 16, no. 9, 2019, pp. 1331–1337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2019.0.... Kaufman, Melissa R., et al. “The AUA/SUFU/AUGS Guideline on Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause.” The Journal of Urology, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000.... North American Menopause Society. “The 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society.” Menopause, vol. 29, no. 7, 2022, pp. 767–794. https://doi.org/10.1097/GME.000000000.... Papadopoulou-Marketou, Niki, et al. “Adrenal Androgens and Aging.” Endotext, edited by Kenneth R. Feingold et al., MDText.com, 2023, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279006/. Parish, Sharon J., et al. “International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health Clinical Practice Guideline for the Use of Systemic Testosterone for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in Women.” The Journal of Sexual Medicine, vol. 18, no. 5, 2021, pp. 849–867. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2020.1.... Samaras, Nikolaos, et al. “A Review of Age-Related Dehydroepiandrosterone Decline and Its Association with Well-Known Geriatric Syndromes: Is Treatment Beneficial?” Rejuvenation Research, vol. 16, no. 4, 2013, pp. 285–294. https://doi.org/10.1089/rej.2013.1425. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “FDA 101: Dietary Supplements.” FDA, 2 June 2022, www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/fda-101-dietary-supplements. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Questions and Answers on Dietary Supplements.” FDA, 21 Feb. 2024, www.fda.gov/food/information-consumers-using-dietary-supplements/questions-and-answers-dietary-supplements. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Intrarosa (Prasterone) Prescribing Information.” FDA, 2016, www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2016/208470s000lbl.pdf. Wierman, Margaret E., et al. “Androgen Therapy in Women: A Reappraisal: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline.” The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, vol. 99, no. 10, 2014, pp. 3489–3510. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2014-2260.