Yes, the ovaries produce testosterone. They are one of the three sources of testosterone in women’s bodies, alongside the adrenal glands and peripheral tissues that convert other hormones into testosterone. The ovaries contribute roughly 25 to 30 percent of the total circulating testosterone in premenopausal women, making them a significant but not dominant source.
Testosterone plays a much larger role in female health than most people realize. Far from being a “male hormone,” it’s essential for energy, bone strength, muscle maintenance, brain function, and sexual desire throughout a woman’s life.
How the Ovaries Make Testosterone
Inside each ovary, developing follicles contain two distinct layers of cells that work together to produce hormones. The outer layer, called theca cells, responds to a brain signal (luteinizing hormone, or LH) by producing androgens, primarily testosterone and a closely related hormone called androstenedione. These androgens then pass into the inner layer of granulosa cells, where an enzyme called aromatase converts them into estrogen.
This two-step process means testosterone isn’t just a byproduct of ovarian function. It’s actually a required building block for estrogen. Without testosterone production in the theca cells, the ovaries couldn’t make estrogen at all. Some of the testosterone escapes conversion and enters the bloodstream, where it carries out its own biological roles throughout the body.
Testosterone Levels Across the Menstrual Cycle
Testosterone doesn’t stay at a fixed level throughout the month. It follows a predictable pattern tied to the menstrual cycle. Levels are lowest during the early follicular phase (the days right after your period starts) and throughout most of the luteal phase (the two weeks before your next period). The peak happens right around ovulation, at mid-cycle. This surge aligns with the spike in LH that triggers egg release, since LH is the same signal that drives the theca cells to ramp up androgen production.
This mid-cycle testosterone peak is consistent across studies regardless of age or testing method, and it likely explains why many women notice a brief increase in energy or libido around ovulation.
What Testosterone Does in Women
Testosterone influences a surprisingly wide range of functions. The most well-documented roles include:
- Sexual function: Desire, arousal, orgasm, and overall sexual satisfaction are all linked to adequate testosterone levels. Studies in postmenopausal women show that testosterone supplementation improves multiple domains of sexual response, including libido, pleasure, and self-image.
- Bone and muscle health: Testosterone helps maintain bone density and muscle strength, working alongside estrogen to protect the musculoskeletal system.
- Mood and cognition: Low testosterone is associated with unexplained fatigue, low mood, and changes in mental sharpness.
- Energy: General vitality and resistance to fatigue are tied to testosterone levels, which is why women with very low levels often describe persistent, hard-to-explain tiredness.
What Happens After Menopause
When menopause arrives, estrogen production from the ovaries drops sharply. Testosterone declines too, but much more gradually. This mismatch is actually the reason some postmenopausal women develop symptoms of androgen excess like facial hair growth or thinning scalp hair. It’s not that testosterone increases; it’s that estrogen falls away faster, leaving testosterone relatively more prominent.
The ovaries don’t stop producing androgens entirely after menopause. Stromal cells in the ovarian tissue continue to respond to the elevated LH levels characteristic of menopause and can keep secreting small amounts of testosterone. Both ovarian and adrenal androgen production decline with age, but the ovarian contribution remains measurable.
This ongoing production is one reason many gynecologists urge caution around removing the ovaries during hysterectomy when there’s no medical necessity. A meta-analysis published in Medicine found that bilateral oophorectomy (removal of both ovaries) causes a statistically significant drop in testosterone levels. Women who lose their ovaries surgically lose not only their estrogen supply but also a meaningful portion of their testosterone, which can contribute to fatigue, low libido, and bone loss.
When Ovarian Testosterone Is Too High
The most common condition linked to excess ovarian testosterone is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which affects an estimated 8 to 13 percent of women of reproductive age. The biochemical hallmark of PCOS is androgen overproduction, and the ovaries are the primary source. The theca cells in women with PCOS produce more testosterone than normal, driven in part by genetic factors. Genome-wide studies have identified specific genes, such as DENND1A, that are directly implicated in theca cell androgen output.
Diagnosing PCOS involves checking for at least two of three criteria: elevated androgens (either visible signs like acne and excess hair, or high testosterone on blood tests), irregular or absent ovulation, and polycystic-appearing ovaries on ultrasound. The 2023 international guidelines recommend measuring both total and free testosterone using highly accurate testing methods, since standard immunoassays often lack the sensitivity to detect the relatively low testosterone concentrations found in women.
If testosterone levels come back markedly above the normal reference range, other causes need to be ruled out before attributing the elevation to PCOS. These include adrenal conditions, ovarian tumors, and a condition called ovarian hyperthecosis, where stromal cells throughout the ovary overproduce androgens. Hyperthecosis is more common after menopause and can cause virilization, with testosterone levels much higher than what PCOS typically produces.
Where the Rest of Your Testosterone Comes From
Since the ovaries account for about 25 to 30 percent of circulating testosterone, the remaining 70 to 75 percent comes from elsewhere. The adrenal glands, which sit on top of the kidneys, are the primary source of a testosterone precursor called DHEA. Peripheral tissues, including fat, skin, and muscle, then convert DHEA and androstenedione into active testosterone locally. This means testosterone activity in specific tissues can be higher than what a blood test suggests, because some conversion happens right where the hormone is needed.
This distributed production system is why losing one source, whether through menopause, surgery, or adrenal insufficiency, doesn’t eliminate testosterone entirely but can still cause noticeable symptoms. The body has some built-in redundancy, but each source matters.