Deconstructing misconceptions: The relevance of androgens for human health

Deconstructing misconceptions: The relevance of androgens for human health Alexandra Cara and Carol F. Elias from the University of Michigan Medical School provide insights into the critical role of androgens in human health, including their vital roles throughout various life stages. Androgens are a class of steroid hormones best known for their role as male sex hormones. They promote the development of male reproductive organs, shape secondary sex characteristics (i.e., male pattern facial hair, deeper voice), and maintain reproductive health. However, females also produce androgens, though their importance is often overlooked. While testosterone is the main androgen produced in the testes, androgens are also produced in the ovaries, adrenal glands, and adipose tissue in individuals with testes or ovaries, depending on life stage.