05/16/2026
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NEW STUDY: Low testosterone may be linked to pelvic organ prolapse in postmenopausal women.
Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) happens when the muscles and connective tissue supporting the pelvic organs weaken, allowing the bladder, uterus, or re**um to shift downward. It’s common. It’s under-discussed. And now we may be learning more about the hormonal side of it.
In this new study of postmenopausal women:
➡️ Women with prolapse had LOWER free testosterone levels
➡️ More advanced prolapse was linked to EVEN LOWER testosterone
➡️ Estrogen levels were NOT significantly different between groups
We’ve spent decades talking about estrogen and the pelvic floor, while largely ignoring androgens like testosterone.
But testosterone receptors exist in pelvic floor muscles, connective tissue, the bladder, urethra, and va**na. Hormones matter to tissue health. They matter to strength. They matter to function.
This study doesn’t prove testosterone causes or prevents prolapse. But it adds to the growing body of evidence that androgens may play an important role in women’s pelvic health.
And importantly:
free testosterone may someday become a NON-invasive biomarker to help identify women at higher risk for prolapse.
The future of women’s health is not “just estrogen.”
It’s understanding the whole hormonal ecosystem.
Women deserve better research.
Women deserve nuanced conversations.
Women deserve pelvic floor medicine that studies female biology.
Kawasaki M, Nagase K, Yukimoto M, Yamaguchi Y, Maeda A, Kusano S, Kakinoki Y, Kakinoki H, Udo K, Tobu S, Noguchi M. Salivary Free Testosterone as a Potential Biomarker for Pelvic Organ Prolapse in Postmenopausal Women: A Prospective Case-Control Study. Int J Urol. 2026 May;33(5):e70473. doi: 10.1111/iju.70473. PMID: 42138067.r
