Hyperandrogenism
Higher-than-typical androgen activity, measured in the blood or seen in signs like acne and hirsutism. One of the three Rotterdam criteria.
Hyperandrogenism means higher-than-typical androgen activity. It can be biochemical, measured as elevated androgens in the blood, or clinical, seen in physical signs even when the bloodwork looks borderline.
It is one of the three Rotterdam criteria for PMOS, alongside ovulation problems and polycystic ovary morphology. A diagnosis requires two of the three, so hyperandrogenism is often, though not always, part of the picture.
The clinical signs include hormonal acne along the jaw and chin, hirsutism, and androgenic hair thinning. Because insulin lowers SHBG and frees up testosterone, the biochemical side is closely tied to the metabolic part of PMOS. This is also why total testosterone alone can understate it: free testosterone and the free androgen index often tell a fuller story.