在2013年至2023年期间，美国女性睾酮药物处方数量增加了近50%；在英国，从2015年至2022年，处方量增长了十倍。医生们起初在20世纪40年代为低性欲等问题开具睾酮，但到2000年代初与激素替代治疗（HRT）相关的恐慌导致使用减少。随着对HRT担忧的消退，女性对睾酮的兴趣开始回升，2019年后对“性欲减退症”（HSDD）的治疗需求推动了药物再次流行。

女性体内睾酮水平在20多岁时达到峰值，到更年期时仅为峰值的四分之一。治疗HSDD的目标是将女性的睾酮水平恢复到绝经前水平，通常通过皮肤制剂实现。专家警告注射缓释睾酮会导致过量，副作用包括痤疮、多毛、情绪波动和嗓音永久性加深。除改善性功能外，更年期女性还报告改善了情绪、记忆力和决策疲劳，一些研究也表明睾酮对认知和情绪有帮助，但缺乏大规模长期安全研究数据。

对于更年期或有医疗需求的女性，适量应用睾酮可能效果显著，但对健康无明确需求的女性，专家认为其用于提升情绪或表现风险未明。不适当或高剂量用法，尤其是借鉴男性健美领域标准，被认为是不安全的。社交媒体上关于睾酮的热潮，更多被视为流行趋势而非科学推荐。

Between 2013 and 2023, prescription rates for testosterone therapy in American women increased by nearly 50%, while in Britain, prescriptions rose tenfold from 2015 to 2022. Doctors initially prescribed testosterone to women for issues like low libido since the 1940s, but concerns surrounding hormone replacement therapy (HRT) at the millennium’s turn caused usage to drop. As HRT fears faded, interest in testosterone resurged, with treatment for “hypoactive sexual desire disorder” (HSDD) driving renewed demand from 2019 onwards.

Testosterone peaks in women during their twenties and drops to about a quarter of that peak by menopause. Therapy for HSDD aims to restore premenopausal testosterone levels, usually via topical formulations. Experts warn against slow-dissolving injectable pellets, which risk overdosing and causing side effects such as acne, excess body hair, mood swings, or permanently deepened voice. Beyond addressing sexual dysfunction, menopausal women report mood, memory, and decision fatigue improvements; some studies support benefits for cognition and mood, though robust long-term safety data remain lacking.

For menopausal or medically indicated women, sensible testosterone supplementation can bring significant benefits, but for those without clear medical need, risks and unknowns remain. Use of high or misapplied doses—especially following protocols from male bodybuilding—is considered unsafe. The social media enthusiasm for testosterone is thus viewed by experts as another trending “hormone du jour” rather than medically justified advice.