@valeri.hall2's female testosterone therapy claims, fact-checked

What does this video actually claim?

Valeri Hall shares that at 40, her testosterone tested at 9 ng/dL, which she says is below the normal range of 50-100 ng/dL. She's starting hormone replacement therapy with testosterone cream applied to the back of her knee as the "least invasive route."

Hall positions this as helping other women who might have similar hormone issues. The video sets up what appears to be an ongoing series documenting her experience with testosterone therapy.

Are her testosterone numbers actually problematic?

Hall's claim about normal testosterone ranges for women is way off. Total testosterone for premenopausal women typically ranges from 15-70 ng/dL, not 50-100 ng/dL as she states.

At 9 ng/dL, her levels are low. The Endocrine Society's 2019 clinical practice guideline defines female testosterone deficiency as total testosterone below 25 ng/dL in women under 65. Hall's number would qualify as clinically low by most standards.

However, testosterone testing in women is notoriously unreliable. Most commercial lab assays aren't sensitive enough for female testosterone levels, leading to significant measurement errors.

Is knee application the "least invasive" testosterone therapy?

Hall's description of topical testosterone as "least invasive" is misleading. All FDA-approved testosterone therapies for women were actually withdrawn from the U.S. market years ago.

The products available are either compounded (unregulated) or off-label use of male formulations. A 2020 systematic review by Jaspers et al. in Maturitas found no significant difference in side effect profiles between topical and other testosterone delivery methods in women.

Transdermal application to areas like the knee doesn't make testosterone therapy inherently safer. The hormone still enters systemic circulation and carries the same potential risks regardless of application site.

What does research actually show about female testosterone therapy?

The evidence for testosterone therapy in women is limited and mixed. The Global Position Statement on Testosterone Therapy for Women (Davis et al., Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2019) only endorses testosterone for postmenopausal women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder.

For premenopausal women like Hall, there's essentially no quality evidence supporting testosterone therapy. The few randomized trials have been small and short-term, mostly focusing on sexual function rather than general wellbeing.

Long-term safety data is particularly lacking. Potential risks include cardiovascular effects, liver toxicity, and virilization symptoms like deepened voice or increased body hair, which may be irreversible.

What should you actually know about female testosterone deficiency?

True testosterone deficiency in premenopausal women is rare and usually occurs with other serious medical conditions affecting the ovaries or adrenal glands. Fatigue and mood issues have dozens of more common causes that should be explored first.

If you're experiencing symptoms Hall describes, get proper evaluation from an endocrinologist, not just basic blood work. They can order more accurate testing methods like liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for testosterone measurement.

The "normal aging" symptoms many women experience around 40 are more often related to perimenopause, thyroid function, sleep quality, or stress rather than testosterone deficiency.