Androgens, such as testosterone, are male sex hormones that produce male sexual characteristics. Androgens are also present at low levels in women, although their function in women is not clearly understood.
Testosterone may be used to help women who experience a drop in sexual desire after going through menopause or to treat some conditions such as breast cancer. Androgens also are used to treat men whose hormone levels have decreased.
| Author | Jeannette Curtis |
| Author | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Tracy Landauer |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Last Updated | May 25, 2007 |
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise