Does Androgen Deficiency Exist in Women?

摘要

Due to its traditional association with masculinity and male sexual function, the role of androgen insufficiency and its importance in women have not been afforded the attention hyperandrogenism and the related polycystic ovarian syndrome have. The sites of androstenedione, testosterone, dihydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and its sulfate DHEAS production and their varied chemical structures are well documented, but the aberrations in female androgen levels, especially those that manifest clinically at the time of natural and surgical menopause, are not totally elucidated. In fact, what constitutes an abnormal androgen level, specifically in the lower ranges of normal in the premenopausal and postmeno-pausal populations, and whether those values directly correlate with sexual, musculo-skeletal and quality of life symptoms have not been folly ascertained.