Openai/69245b61-53f4-8002-b106-9e75142d15e1

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gpt-5-1

User: In the spirit of VerifyBeforeYouAmplify please answer in simple terms to bust the myth and explain the basic facts.

In the spirit of #VerifyBeforeYouAmplify please answer in simple terms to bust the myth and explain the basic facts. The claim that, 'because ovaries make more testosterone than estradiol explains why it is a valid reason to replace testosterone with HRT during menopause transition and postmenopause', was posted by someone on social media. Explain in a yes or no answer at first, then outline where the myth over simplifies things and what really happens, such as how estradiol is made from androgens, how much testosterone stays as testosterone, what role testosterone plays in terms of ovulation, and what happens to ovarian testosterone postmenopause. Keep it short and sweet please.

Assistant: Short answer:

Short answer: No. That claim is not biologically accurate.

Why it’s a myth (simple version):

1. Ovaries make testosterone as a step in making estradiol. All oestrogens are made from androgens. Testosterone is not produced “instead of” estradiol — it is the raw material used to create it.
2. Most ovarian testosterone doesn’t stay as testosterone. Roughly three-quarters (or more) of what the ovary makes is immediately converted into estradiol inside the ovary. Only a smaller proportion enters the bloodstream as testosterone.
3. Testosterone has a specific role around ovulation. There is a short, sharp rise in testosterone just before ovulation, which then rapidly converts to estradiol to help trigger the ovulatory process.
4. Postmenopause, the biology changes — but the myth doesn’t. There is no menstrual cycle, so estradiol is no longer produced in that cyclical way. The ovaries can continue to make small amounts of testosterone for years, and this can be converted in other tissues (fat, muscle, bone, skin) into estrogens. This does not mean high-dose testosterone “needs” to be replaced.
5. So the core myth is a simple misread. More testosterone being made in the ovary does not mean the body “needs” testosterone replacement. It means the ovary uses testosterone to make estradiol. The majority is converted, not left unused.

If you want, I can give you an even shorter social-media-friendly version.