Go to Content
Donate

What is testosterone therapy?

In This Section

Testosterone is a sex hormone that causes “masculine” characteristics. 

What is testosterone therapy?

Testosterone therapy is when you take the medicine testosterone to increase “masculine” characteristics. A nurse or doctor can prescribed  it to you in different forms: as a shot or as a gel, a cream, or a patch you put on your skin.

How long will it take for testosterone therapy to change my body?

After starting testosterone therapy, you’ll probably start to see changes after a month or longer. Some changes can take 2 to 5 years to develop. 

How will testosterone therapy change my body?

Here are some changes you may notice:

  • Your voice may get deeper.

  • You may grow facial hair.
  • Your body hair may get thicker and may grow faster.
  • Your clitoris may get bigger.
  • Your muscles may get bigger and stronger.
  • You may stop having a period.
  • You may notice less fat on your butt, hips, and thighs and more fat on your belly.

What are the risks of testosterone therapy?

Testosterone therapy is safe for most people, but all medicines have some risks. Your nearest Planned Parenthood health center can help you figure out if testosterone therapy is safe for you.

Complications from testosterone therapy are rare, but they can be serious. Using testosterone can:

  • increase your red blood cell count. Levels that are too high could lead to high blood pressure, blood clots, stroke, or heart attack. 
  • increase the amount of fat and/or cholesterol in your blood.
  • cause other unknown long term health issues, including issues with fertility.

What are the side effects of testosterone therapy?

If you’re using testosterone, you may notice the following side effects: 

  • The hair on your head may get thinner or fall out.

  • Your sexual feelings and desires may change.
  • Who you’re attracted to may change.
  • You may notice changes in your moods.
  • Your genitals could feel dryer.
  • You may get acne or oily skin.
  • You may sweat more and it may smell different. 

What can I use instead of testosterone therapy? 

There are other ways to increase your “masculine” characteristics. This may include getting voice therapy or having surgery. 

What happens if I stop taking testosterone?

To keep most of the changes that come with testosterone therapy, you have to keep taking the medicine. If you stop taking the medicine you may notice:

  • changes in your sexual arousal or desire.
  • changes in your body fat.
  • changes in your strength.
  • faster hair growth.
  • changes to your period.

Some of the changes may not go away even if you stop taking testosterone. These include:

  • The size of your clitoris may stay the same.
  • The tone of your voice may stay low.
  • Your facial hair may not go away.
  • Thinning or loss of hair on your head will continue.
  • You may still have thicker body hair.

More questions from patients:

Will testosterone therapy affect my ability to get pregnant?

There’s no way to know for sure if you’ll be able to get pregnant after taking testosterone. You may be able to get pregnant, or you may not be able to get pregnant in the future. This is true even if you stop taking testosterone. 

Use birth control if you want to prevent pregnancy. Testosterone can cause serious birth defects, so if you want to become pregnant or wish to discuss fertility preservation, talk with your nearest Planned Parenthood health center about your options.

Can I stop taking testosterone at any time? 

You can choose to stop taking testosterone at any time. If you decide you want to stop, talk to a doctor or nurse at your nearest Planned Parenthood health center.

This website uses cookies

Planned Parenthood cares about your healthcare privacy and information preferences. We and our third-party vendors use cookies and other tools to collect, store, monitor, and analyze information about your interaction with our site, to improve performance, analyze your use of our sites and assist in our marketing efforts. We also use analytics to better understand how users book appointments. You may edit the use of these cookies and other tools at any time by visiting Cookie Settings. By clicking "Allow All Cookies" you consent to our collection and use of such data, and our Terms of Use. For more information, see our Privacy Notice. Planned Parenthood Federation of America uses tracking technologies to improve your site experience. By using this site you agree to our general use of cookies on some of our pages. To learn more, see our Privacy Notice, Terms of Use, or by viewing your Cookie Settings.

Español
Cookie settings Allow all

Cookie Settings

We, and our third-party partners, use cookies, pixels, and other tracking technologies to collect, store, monitor, and process certain information about you when you access and use our services, read our emails, or otherwise engage with us. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences, or your device. We use that information to make the site work, analyze performance and traffic on our website, to provide a more personalized web experience, and assist in our marketing efforts. We also share information with our social media, advertising, and analytics partners. You can change your default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of required cookies when utilizing our site; this includes necessary cookies that help our site to function (such as remembering your cookie preference settings). For more information, please see our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use.

Marketing

On

We use online advertising to promote our mission and help constituents find our services. Marketing pixels help us measure the success of our campaigns.

Performance

On

We use qualitative data, including session replay, to learn about your user experience and improve our products and services.

Analytics

On

We use web analytics to help us understand user engagement with our website, trends, and overall reach of our products.

Reject All Save settings Allow all