Figure 2. Androgens (including testosterone [T] and DHT) act through AR at the plasma membrane and in the nucleus to regulate many functions in women.

In the brain, androgens may improve sexual desire and performance, most notably in women with HSDD. In bone, androgens regulate bone size, perhaps by controlling cancellous bone volume. In the uterus, androgens may regulate parturition by modifying myometrial contractility and cervical remodeling. In the ovary, at physiologic concentrations, androgens promote normal follicular development, though high concentrations of androgens dysregulate follicle development. In breast, androgens have little effect on normal mammary development. In breast cancer, however, androgens may suppress growth when the ratio of AR/ERα signaling is low, but may promote growth when AR/ERα signaling is high. Finally, in the pancreas, androgens may promote insulin release