If your sex drive has disappeared somewhere between work, kids, hormones, stress and trying to remember what you walked into the kitchen for, you've probably wondered what's going on.

And lately, testosterone seems to be having a moment.

We're hearing much more about testosterone for women, particularly through perimenopause and menopause. It's often talked about as the hormone behind desire, confidence, energy and that general feeling of having your spark back.

So if you've lost interest in sex, does that mean your testosterone is low?

Turns out, it's not that simple.

What does testosterone actually do in women?

Women naturally produce testosterone. We just have much less of it than men.

Levels generally decline with age, and testosterone is involved in sexual function, bone and muscle health and other processes in the body.

There is also good evidence that testosterone therapy can help some women experiencing hypoactive sexual desire disorder, usually shortened to HSDD. This isn't simply having less sex than you used to. It describes persistently low sexual desire that is causing you personal distress.

So testosterone absolutely has a place in women's health.

But there's an important distinction between testosterone being able to improve sexual desire in some women and assuming that low testosterone is the reason a woman doesn't want sex.

Those aren't the same thing.

A new Australian study makes this really interesting

Research published in 2026 looked at sex hormones and sexual function in Australian women aged 40 to 69.

Researchers measured hormones including testosterone and then looked at different areas of sexual function, including desire, arousal and orgasm.

One of the most interesting findings?

Testosterone levels weren't associated with sexual desire.

Women with lower testosterone didn't simply have lower desire, and women with higher testosterone didn't automatically want more sex.

The researchers actually concluded that routinely measuring these hormones shouldn't form part of the standard assessment of women experiencing sexual concerns.

That doesn't mean testosterone doesn't matter. The study found more complicated relationships between hormones, arousal and orgasm.

What it does suggest is that female desire can't be reduced to one hormone.

And we think that's an important conversation to have.

Because libido doesn't exist in isolation

Think about everything that can influence whether you feel like having sex.

How well did you sleep?

Are you stressed?

Do you feel comfortable in your body?

Is sex painful or uncomfortable?

Are you experiencing vaginal dryness? *we've got something for that!

Do you feel emotionally connected to your partner?

Are you taking medication that affects sexual function?

Are you exhausted?

Are you getting the kind of stimulation that actually works for you?

And perhaps most importantly: is the sex you're having something you genuinely look forward to?

Hormones can absolutely be part of the picture. But they're rarely the whole picture.

So should women consider testosterone?

For some women, yes.

International clinical guidance supports testosterone therapy for appropriately assessed women with HSDD, particularly after menopause. Research suggests it can provide a meaningful improvement in sexual function for some women.

But experts recommend looking at sexual desire through a much broader lens first.

Relationship factors, mental health, medications, physical discomfort, vaginal changes and other possible causes all matter. A testosterone blood test alone also can't diagnose HSDD.

If your libido has changed and it's bothering you, it's worth talking to a GP or women's health practitioner who is comfortable discussing sexual health rather than assuming you simply need to accept it.

Maybe the better question isn't "what's wrong with my hormones?"

It's easy to look for a number on a blood test that explains why you don't feel like yourself.

Sometimes there is one.

But desire is wonderfully complicated.

It's hormonal, physical, psychological, emotional, relational and sometimes situational.

Testosterone may be one piece of that puzzle.

It just isn't necessarily the missing piece we've been led to believe it is.

And if your desire has changed, that doesn't automatically mean there's something wrong with you. It might simply mean it's time to understand what your body, mind and relationships need now, rather than expecting them to work exactly as they did ten or twenty years ago.

At Lusté we truly believe self exploration is a tool to help guide ourselves back to those feelings of desire. How can we expect another person to turn us on if we don't know how to ourselves? Our Ritual boxes are a great way to start your own personal journey.

This article is general information only and isn't a substitute for personalised medical advice. If you've noticed a significant change in sexual desire or other symptoms, speak with your doctor or qualified health professional.