Plasma Testosterone in the Normal Woman

Abstract

Plasma testosterone concentration was determined in 57 samples from 9 normal women in 17 ovulatory menstrual cycles, using the double isotope method of Riondel et al. (3). The mean concentration was 0.054 μg/100 ml ±0.015 (SD) without subtraction of the water blank, which had a mean of 0.020 μg/100 ml ±0.005 (SD). The range of plasma testosterone in normal women is narrow. Values greater than 1 standard deviation above the mean were observed only during the ovulatory and luteal phases of the cycle. There was no correlation between plasma testosterone levels and urinary 17-ketosteroid excretion.