Dr. Rachel Rubin

Way more. And I love sharing that. When you put everything in the same units, we are testosterone-driven beings. Both of us, right, are testosterone-driven beings. We don't teach this to OBGYNs. No OBGYN knows, some do, but very few know about the role of testosterone in women's health. And so we love to gaslight women and say, well, if you have your period, your hormones are normal.

Way more. And I love sharing that. When you put everything in the same units, we are testosterone-driven beings. Both of us, right, are testosterone-driven beings. We don't teach this to OBGYNs. No OBGYN knows, some do, but very few know about the role of testosterone in women's health. And so we love to gaslight women and say, well, if you have your period, your hormones are normal.

Drives me insane. Women are told this all day, every day is, well, you can't possibly have a hormone problem because you're getting your period regularly. And the reality is, is that's not true. Why? That curve, that curve we were just talking about, testosterone is nowhere on that curve. And so we know there's a peak of testosterone around ovulation.

Drives me insane. Women are told this all day, every day is, well, you can't possibly have a hormone problem because you're getting your period regularly. And the reality is, is that's not true. Why? That curve, that curve we were just talking about, testosterone is nowhere on that curve. And so we know there's a peak of testosterone around ovulation.

That is nature's way of saying, let's make a baby. We know that. We know that your libido goes up around ovulation because your testosterone goes up. And so there is this age-related decline in testosterone. And here's another big problem. We give women birth control pills all the time. How does birth control work? By the way, birth control is high-dose hormone therapy.

That is nature's way of saying, let's make a baby. We know that. We know that your libido goes up around ovulation because your testosterone goes up. And so there is this age-related decline in testosterone. And here's another big problem. We give women birth control pills all the time. How does birth control work? By the way, birth control is high-dose hormone therapy.

We love hormone therapy and birth control, but as soon as you become menopause, everybody's afraid of hormone therapy. It makes no sense. So birth control is high-dose, I would argue, the hormone therapy we're talking about in the WHI that is more synthetic, that has side effects, that have issues like that.

We love hormone therapy and birth control, but as soon as you become menopause, everybody's afraid of hormone therapy. It makes no sense. So birth control is high-dose, I would argue, the hormone therapy we're talking about in the WHI that is more synthetic, that has side effects, that have issues like that.

So birth control turns off your ovaries, and it adds back a final estradiol and a synthetic progestin. It doesn't add back testosterone. So we are botching testosterone for women along the life cycle, to be honest. But if you take someone who's never been on birth control, their testosterone starts to drop in their 30s. So what are they complaining about? It's not just a libido thing.

So birth control turns off your ovaries, and it adds back a final estradiol and a synthetic progestin. It doesn't add back testosterone. So we are botching testosterone for women along the life cycle, to be honest. But if you take someone who's never been on birth control, their testosterone starts to drop in their 30s. So what are they complaining about? It's not just a libido thing.

We know there are testosterone receptors all throughout the genitals and the urinary tract. So we see women have an increased risk of UTIs. We see an increased risk of pain with intercourse or pelvic pain conditions. We see there are some studies that indicate potentially depression and anxiety can increase because we do think there's a testosterone effects on the brain.

We know there are testosterone receptors all throughout the genitals and the urinary tract. So we see women have an increased risk of UTIs. We see an increased risk of pain with intercourse or pelvic pain conditions. We see there are some studies that indicate potentially depression and anxiety can increase because we do think there's a testosterone effects on the brain.

But we have global consensus. And I don't know if you've read the news lately, Peter, but we don't agree on too much as a globe. But there is global consensus that testosterone in women works for low libido. And so specifically, the data is on postmenopausal women. That's where the global consensus is. But there is data in perimenopause and much smaller studies before that.

But we have global consensus. And I don't know if you've read the news lately, Peter, but we don't agree on too much as a globe. But there is global consensus that testosterone in women works for low libido. And so specifically, the data is on postmenopausal women. That's where the global consensus is. But there is data in perimenopause and much smaller studies before that.

The consensus is it works. But everyone has emotions about testosterone. I didn't think testosterone was a feeling, but apparently it is a feeling for people because people hate talking about it. And again, nobody taught you how to prescribe it. And there's no FDA approved product for women, except in Australia, it's approved by their governing body.

The consensus is it works. But everyone has emotions about testosterone. I didn't think testosterone was a feeling, but apparently it is a feeling for people because people hate talking about it. And again, nobody taught you how to prescribe it. And there's no FDA approved product for women, except in Australia, it's approved by their governing body.

And so you have a lost art of knowing how to give people back testosterone when they are symptomatic.

And so you have a lost art of knowing how to give people back testosterone when they are symptomatic.

I love talking about this and I'm actually grateful for celebrities because just in the news in the past few weeks, Halle Berry says she's on testosterone. Kate Winslet says she's on testosterone therapy. They look pretty amazing to me and they don't look androgenized at all. And so I actually want to do this study.

I love talking about this and I'm actually grateful for celebrities because just in the news in the past few weeks, Halle Berry says she's on testosterone. Kate Winslet says she's on testosterone therapy. They look pretty amazing to me and they don't look androgenized at all. And so I actually want to do this study.