What Causes Low Testosterone? Common Causes in Women and Men
What causes low testosterone? Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer to this question.
And things get even more complicated when you throw sex into the equation.
You see, men and women are vastly different when it comes to testosterone production.
Firstly, the amount produced varies widely between the sexes — women have about one tenth the testosterone men have.
Secondly, the amount of testosterone being supplied by different parts of the body is also quite different between sexes. Whereas in women, the adrenal gland produces about 25% of testosterone in the body, the same gland only produces a tiny amount of the testosterone in a man’s body.
However, some causes do overlap, and not all causes of low testosterone are permanent. Some causes, like removal of the testes, cannot be reversed. Other causes, like opioid drugs, may be reversed with time.
Unfortunately, testosterone replacement therapy cannot restart your body’s normal production of testosterone. It can, however, replace the testosterone your body no longer produces.
Here’s how production differs between men and women.
What Causes Low Testosterone in Men?
In men, the majority (over 95%) of testosterone is produced in the testicles. This means that diseases, disorders, or even physical damage to your testicles can result in low testosterone.
Some common causes of low testosterone in men include
- Klinefelter syndrome
- Physical damage to your testicles
- Damage to your testicles from illness or chemotherapy
- Castration
- Chemical or radiation exposure
- Down syndrome
- Obesity
- Opioid medications
- Hypothalamic disease
- Pituitary tumors
- Hypopituitarism or hyperprolactinemia
- Adrenal insufficiency
- Diabetes
- Alcoholism or drug addiction
- Hemochromatosis
- Sickle cell anemia.
This is only a list of possible causes — it’s not comprehensive. Unfortunately, due to the complex nature of hormones generally (and their wide range of action in your body), they can be disrupted in many different ways.
And it’s not always clear what the culprit is. In fact, this study shows that the generational decline we are seeing is not related to behavior or health. Many experts point to our environment (chemical exposures, et. al.) as a probable reason.
Fortunately, testosterone replacement therapy doesn’t depend on the cause of your low testosterone.
To learn more about what it means to have low testosterone, read our definitive guide on low testosterone here.
What Causes Low Testosterone in Women?
In women, the story is a little different — your testosterone is produced in several areas. Your ovaries and adrenal gland accounts for about 50% of production, with tissues surrounding both these organs accounting for the other 50%.
Therefore, diseases or therapies that affect your ovaries and your adrenal glands can cause your testosterone to drop abnormally.
Here’s what causes low testosterone in women:
- Ovary removal
- Ovarian failure due to chemotherapy drugs or other drugs
- Estrogen therapy (including birth control)
- Loss of menstrual periods in a woman before menopause
- Early menopause (before the age of 40)
- Chemical or radiation exposure
- Down syndrome
- Obesity
- Opioid medications
- Hypothalamic disease
- Pituitary tumors
- Hypopituitarism or hyperprolactinemia
- Adrenal insufficiency
- Diabetes
- Alcoholism or drug addiction
- Hemochromatosis
- Sickle cell anemia
Again, this is not a comprehensive list. To learn more about these potential causes of low testosterone in women, read this article on the subject.
The Only Way to Know for Sure is to Test Your Testosterone Levels
If you think you might be suffering from low testosterone — if you’re experiencing these symptoms, then you might want to get your levels tested.
Click here to sign up for our Low T test and find out if low testosterone is causing your symptoms.
Two sets of lab tests, done on different days, are required to confirm the diagnosis of Low T. The cost of the two sets is $200, and the associated consultation is free.
