Jackie's Take: What's on My Mind in Women's Wellness ✍️ 🤔 

_{It’s the Hormone of Want — So Why is it Wrong to Desire It?}

The testosterone conversation for women has been stuck in the wrong register. Here's a striking reality check: there are over 30 FDA-approved testosterone products for men, yet zero for women. This isn't because women don't need it or because it's unsafe—it's because the approval standards differ dramatically between genders.

While men's products gain approval by simply demonstrating they restore hormone levels, women face a higher, murkier bar—required to prove not just safety but superior outcomes across multiple domains. This regulatory double standard reveals a deeper cultural bias: women's hormonal health continues to be treated as optional, while men's is considered essential.

But here's what's really happening beneath the surface: testosterone for women isn't just about fixing low desire—it's about restoring vitality, mental clarity, and metabolic resilience at a time when many women feel these qualities slipping away. In the face of what I call "The Great Flattening"—that neurochemical dead zone where clarity, ambition, and pleasure collapse—testosterone isn't a luxury. It's leverage.

Never in my clinical career have I seen so many women requesting testosterone by name. Not as an afterthought or whisper, but as a deliberate, informed choice. These aren't women looking to "get their spark back"—they're looking to preserve their edge. They recognize something our healthcare system hasn't caught up to: testosterone supports the very neural circuits governing executive function, reward, and drive.

The real value of testosterone extends far beyond the bedroom. Dopamine is the currency of motivation, and testosterone (it’s agonist) helps maintain the biochemical infrastructure that sustains a woman's ability to think clearly, decide confidently, and lead effectively. When properly balanced within physiological ranges, it improves energy, mental sharpness, and even cardiometabolic health. Libido might make headlines, but the deeper story is agency.

The refusal to approve female-specific formulations symbolically erases midlife women's needs. It reinforces the narrative that female wellbeing is a lifestyle concern, while male function is a medical emergency. It’s why erectile dysfunction gets prime-time commercials, while millions of women are forced to compound or off-label their way to basic hormonal support.

Here's the truth: you don't need to hit bottom before optimizing your health. Wanting more energy, mental clarity, and presence in your own life isn't excessive—it's intelligent. In my clinical framework, testosterone isn't the destination. It's the infrastructure that gives women the physiological runway to stay sharp, visible, and in command—whether in the boardroom, the bedroom, or their own internal narrative.

We need to stop asking whether women deserve testosterone and start asking what's being lost when we deny them access. Because the cost isn't just personal—it's professional, cultural, and generational.

The Tea: What's Trending in Women's Wellness & Culture 🍵 🛍️ 

👵 🗝️ If Longevity is the Future, Why Aren’t Women Leading It? In a longevity industry dominated by men promoting complex biohacking regimens, women remain the true pioneers, consistently outliving men despite facing more health challenges. This enlightening read by Neel Shah, MD and Leslie Schrock brilliantly challenges conventional thinking about women's longevity and how we monetize it. (The Preprint)

😥 Creatine for…Depression? If you’ve been eyeing creatine for strength or sleep, here’s another reason to pay attention: new research suggests 5g per day might also help boost the effects of therapy for depression. While it’s not a magic fix, creatine could be a low-lift, low-risk support tool—especially for women navigating mental health challenges in midlife. 💁‍♀️ Pro Tip: Remember to stop taking creatine three days prior to any lab draw. (Peter Attia MD)

🧴 Skinceuticals’ CE Ferulic Can Now be Legally Duped Ladies, that $182 SkinCeuticals vitamin C serum we've all coveted for years just had its patent expire, meaning we might finally see affordable alternatives that deliver similar brightening and firming benefits. Before you rush to buy the first dupe you see, remember that true effectiveness comes from quality ingredients and manufacturing—not just matching the formula on paper. (Allure)

The Group Chat Edit 📲 👯‍♂️ 

🎧 Listen/Watch: If you’ve ever questioned your worth or felt behind in midlife, this episode will hit home. Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code and Moms First, shares with Tamsen Fadal how rejection, reinvention, and rage became fuel for purpose—and why women need to stop playing small, especially when navigating perimenopause, career shifts and cultural expectations 📺️ 🎙️ (The Tamsen Show)

📖 Read: Why everyone — not just parents with children, deserve a guilt-free spring break 🏖️ 🩴 (Thrillist)

📲 Try: Feeling that spring energy? Us too. This 14-Day Anti-Inflammatory Spring Challenge is like a reset button with benefits: packed with polyphenols, Omega-3s, and fiber-rich foods, it includes two flexible meal plans (omnivore + plant-based), shopping lists, and 25+ seasonal recipes all beautifully organized in Airtable. Perfect for that post spring break detox. 🍃 🫒 

FSH: Facts, Snacks & Hacks 🥨

✅ Fact: A woman who uses vaginal estrogen for one full year is exposed to the same amount of estrogen as is in a SINGLE birth control pill. Someone please tell me why this stuff isn’t over the counter yet?! 🙃 💧 

🥨 Snack: A spring frittata to make you swoon 🌿 🥚 

💡Hack: Less a perimeno hack, more a laughter hack. Season 4 of Hacks is here.