Do Women Have a Greater Ability to Smell Higher Levels of Testosterone?
The evidence does not support that women can specifically detect or smell "higher levels of testosterone" better than men. However, women do demonstrate superior olfactory sensitivity to certain steroid-related compounds and body odors, particularly during their reproductive years, though this appears unrelated to directly detecting testosterone concentrations.
Sex Differences in General Olfactory Function
Women consistently outperform men on multiple olfactory measures, including odor detection, identification, discrimination, and memory tasks, though the relationship with reproductive hormones is complex and not straightforward 1.
Female olfactory superiority is most pronounced for specific compounds, particularly androstenone (a volatile steroid), androsterone, and musk, with naturally cycling women showing significantly greater sensitivity to these odors compared to men 2.
Reproductive-age women demonstrate remarkable olfactory plasticity, with sensitivity improvements averaging five orders of magnitude after repeated exposures to various odorants—a phenomenon observed exclusively in females of reproductive age and not in men 3.
The Testosterone Detection Question
There is no evidence that women can directly smell or detect testosterone levels per se. The confusion likely stems from research showing:
Women rate body odors as more attractive when the odor donor has specific hormone profiles, specifically higher estradiol and lower progesterone levels in women, but testosterone levels in odor donors did not predict attractiveness ratings 4.
Gender-affirming hormone therapy studies provide definitive evidence: When transgender individuals received high-dose cross-sex hormones (including testosterone for transmen and estrogen for transwomen), there were no significant changes in olfactory performance at baseline, 1 month, or 4 months of treatment 5.
Plasma testosterone levels showed no correlation with odor perception abilities in either direction, and hormone-induced changes in testosterone did not correlate with changes in olfactory function 5.
Hormonal Modulation Nuances
Oral contraceptive use significantly reduces olfactory sensitivity to androstenone, androsterone, and musk in women, suggesting these specific odors have hormone-dependent detection mechanisms 2.
The menstrual cycle influences olfactory sensitivity, with naturally cycling women showing peak sensitivity during the periovulatory phase compared to the luteal phase, but this effect is odor-specific and does not represent general testosterone detection 2.
Clinical Bottom Line
Women do not possess an ability to "smell testosterone levels." The superior female olfactory performance relates to:
- Enhanced sensitivity to specific steroid-related volatile compounds (androstenone, androsterone) 2
- Greater overall olfactory acuity that is modulated by female reproductive hormones (estradiol, progesterone) 1, 3
- Reproductive-age specific plasticity in odor sensitivity 3
The evidence from hormone therapy studies definitively shows that changing testosterone levels—even dramatically—does not alter olfactory detection abilities 5, ruling out testosterone as a direct modulator of smell sensitivity or as a detectable olfactory cue itself.