What is the role of sex hormones?

What are the female sex hormones?

“Women and men synthesize the same hormones, but at different levels. For women, the sex hormone par excellence isestrogenand more precisely estradiol (or estradiol). The latter is produced naturally by the ovaries, and is the most important in the family of estrogens in women, until menopause.“, explains Sophie Christin-Maître, professor of endocrinology at Sorbonne University and head of the endocrinology department at Saint-Antoine Hospital in Paris.

What are the sex hormones in men?

In men, the primary sex hormone is testosterone which is part of the androgen family. It is essential in the sexual and reproductive life of a man and also plays an essential role in his development, during fetal life, in adolescence and throughout life.

What is the role of a sex hormone?

The role of a sex hormone is very important for many organs. Sex hormones are involved in the development of the genital organs in the fetus. In the case of women, estradiol allows breast development in young girls, the first sign of pubertal development. In addition, estradiol has an influence “at the level of the skin, bones (it contributes to their solidity and avoids the development of osteopenia or osteoporosis)“, explains our expert, and at the vaginal level, by preventing vaginal dryness. He plays a role of cardiovascular protection in women before menopause. In men, testosterone”plays a role on body hair, muscle mass, distribution between muscle mass and adipose tissueas well as on top sexual function and the brain“, continues our interlocutor.

In the woman, estradiol is produced by the ovaries, which also produce androgens. In women, 50% of androgens come from the ovaries and 50% from the adrenal glands, which sit above each kidney. In men, 95% of testosterone is secreted by the testicles, and 5% by the adrenal glands. It can be transformed into estrogen, especially in fat.

What are sex hormone disorders in women?

In the woman, hormonal imbalance can occur when the ovaries no longer work, or if ovarian control is not working, i.e. the pituitary and hypothalamus, respectively an endocrine gland and a region of the brain, do not secrete and regulate neurohormones as they should. This class of ovarian drive abnormalities, called hypothalamic-pituitarycan be caused by a lack of fat in the dietor by excessive physical activity, which puts the energy balance in deficit. A woman can also suffer from excess testosteroneoften caused bye polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and more rarely by a benign or cancerous tumour. An overflow of androgen in women can be manifested by hirsutism (increased hair growth), hormonal acne, hair loss or even menstrual disorders. Conversely an excess of female hormones is “very rare” outside of pregnancy, according to the specialist. The only circumstances where there is an excess of female hormones are during the procedure of assisted medical procreation (PMA)because many follicles are stimulated to obtain many oocytes and the levels rise significantly for a few days.

What are male sex hormone disorders?

On the male side, those who practice a lot of bodybuilding can cause their hormonal disorders themselves by injecting testosterone. “This disrupts the liver, increases the level of red blood cells and therefore the risk of cerebrovascular accident (CVA), decreases the hormones created by the person, and causes a defect in the production of spermatozoa“, comments Professor Christin-Maître.

What are mixed sex hormone disorders?

In both sexes, genetic abnormalities such as turner’s syndrome in the woman or Klinefeler’s syndrome in humans can alter hormone production during the development of puberty or later in life. “The absence of puberty is manifested in boys by a testicular size smaller than the norm, an absence of voice change and hair growth, and then a weak muscle mass. It is advisable to consult in the absence of puberty from the age of 13 in girls, and 15 years in boys“, explains Pr. Christin-Maître. The absence of puberty at the age of 18 cannot simply be a delay in puberty. In these cases, it is possible to induce puberty by hormonal treatments.

What to do in case of sex hormone disorders?

The attending physician can suspect a hormonal imbalance. If it turns out after a blood test that the latter is an estrogen deficiency, the first thing to do is to complete the analyzes to find out if the anomaly is at the level of the gonad or the gonadal control. An MRI of the hypothalamic-pituitary region may be necessary. In the event of a proven deficit, an estrogen-progestogen pill may be prescribedOr a treatment based on natural hormones in tablets, gel or stickers. If the hormonal imbalance is related to the gonad, the sexual organ that produces gametes, it is necessary to a karyotype, in other words, an analysis of the chromosomes, which allows or not to make the diagnosis of a genetic disease responsible for ovarian failure.

Thanks to Sophie Christin-Maître, professor of endocrinology at Sorbonne University and head of the endocrinology department at Saint-Antoine Hospital in Paris.