In plain terms: Androgens are a group of hormones that everyone’s body makes, and it needs them. Higher androgen activity is a common part of PMOS (formerly PCOS). This article explains, calmly, what androgens are and where they come from. It does not tell you anything about your own levels.
If you have heard the word “androgens” and pictured something that belongs only in male bodies, you are in good company. It is one of the most common mix-ups about hormones. Androgens are part of the PMOS picture, so it helps to know what they actually are. This article stays general. It explains the hormones themselves, not any one person’s results, and it never asks you to check yourself against a list. Think of it as the layer beneath our labs explainer: what the hormones are, before what a test measures.
Are androgens “male hormones”?
Androgens are a group of sex hormones, and everyone has them (Cleveland Clinic). Males naturally make more of them, but all bodies make androgens and rely on them. They help start puberty, and they play a role in reproductive health and body development. So the “male hormone” label is a bit misleading.
Testosterone is the main androgen in all people (Cleveland Clinic). It is not the only one, though. The body also makes androstenedione and DHEA, along with DHEA’s stored form, DHEA-S. Several of these work as building blocks the body uses to make other hormones. Androgens are a class of steroid hormones that matter in female bodies too, not just male ones (StatPearls).
That reframe is worth holding onto. Androgens are less a single “male” substance and more a family of hormones that everyone’s body makes, uses, and keeps in balance. The question is never whether you have them. You do, and that is normal.
Where do androgens come from?
Androgens come mainly from three places. The ovaries and the adrenal glands, which sit on top of each kidney, make them (Cleveland Clinic). So do peripheral tissues such as skin and fat, where the body converts building-block hormones into more active forms (Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2023).
Peer-reviewed research fills in the detail. In the condition, ovarian androgens are produced by cells called theca cells, and the adrenal glands add their own share (Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2023). DHEA-S, for instance, comes only from the adrenal glands. Fat tissue is a real source too, with the full machinery needed to make these hormones, and the skin keeps processing them further (Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2023).
You do not need to memorize any of that. The plain takeaway is simple. Androgens are not made in one spot. Several parts of the body make and reshape them, which is one reason the picture is more connected than it first looks.
Androgens and PMOS
Higher androgen activity, sometimes called hyperandrogenism, is a common and well-recognized part of PMOS. The Endocrine Society reports it in about 60-80% of girls and women with the condition (Endocrine Society). It is one of the condition’s central features, not a rare add-on.
This higher activity can be linked to skin and hair changes, such as acne or more facial or body hair (Endocrine Society; Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2023). These are described here as features of the condition, not as a checklist to measure yourself against. Everyone’s experience differs, and many of these signs have other explanations entirely.
There is a metabolic thread too. Higher insulin levels can worsen androgen excess, which is one reason PCOS is understood as a whole-body condition (Endocrine Society). When clinicians describe the condition, they often name three broad features together: less frequent ovulation, higher androgen activity, and the ovary appearance seen on a scan (Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2023).
The name PMOS leads with hormones
The 2026 rename put hormones first on purpose. The Endocrine Society describes PMOS as “characterised by fluctuations in hormones, with impacts on weight, metabolic and mental health, skin, and the reproductive system” (Endocrine Society). The name signals the hormonal picture from the very start.
Androgens sit comfortably inside that hormonal picture. The older name, PCOS, led with the ovaries and cysts, which left much of the hormone story out of view. The new name brings the endocrine and metabolic sides forward, so the condition reads as what it is: hormonal and whole-body, with the ovaries as one part rather than the whole.
Why a clinician might measure them
Because androgens are part of the picture, a clinician may measure them as one piece of a wider assessment. What those tests actually measure is covered plainly in our labs explainer.
Frequently asked questions
Are androgens only male hormones?
No. Androgens are a group of sex hormones that everyone’s body makes and needs (Cleveland Clinic). Males naturally make more of them, and testosterone is the main androgen in all people. They matter in female bodies too, where several act as building blocks the body uses to make other hormones (StatPearls).
What is hyperandrogenism?
Hyperandrogenism means higher androgen activity than usual. It is a common, well-recognized feature of PCOS, reported in about 60-80% of girls and women with the condition (Endocrine Society). It can be linked to skin and hair changes, described here as features of the condition rather than a self-test.
Where are androgens made in the body?
Mainly in three places: the ovaries and the adrenal glands on top of each kidney (Cleveland Clinic), plus peripheral tissues such as skin and fat, where the body converts building-block hormones into more active forms (Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2023). DHEA-S comes only from the adrenal glands.
A note on medical advice
This article is general education about androgens and PMOS. It does not give reference ranges, interpret results, or tell you anything about your own hormone levels. Only a qualified healthcare professional who knows your full history can do that. For anything about your own health, please speak with a clinician.