Paper of the day - Treatment boosts sex drive of postmenopausal women

Postmenopausal women with low sex drives benefit from treatment with low-dose testosterone, according to results derived from two small studies.

The women had ‘hypoactive sexual desire disorder' (defined as persistent or recurrent deficiency and/or absence of sexual fantasies/thoughts and/or desire for, or receptivity to, secxual activity which causes personal distress)

The studies, randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled trials of a total of 132 surgically postmenopausal women found that more women had ‘meaningful benefit' from treatment on transdermal testosterone than placebo.
The women treated with testosterone had a significant increase of satisfying sexual activity – by 4.4 times over 4 weeks, compared to an increase of 0.5 times over 4 weeks in the placebo group. They also had more sexual desire which they regarded as beneficial.

The Journal of Sexual Medicine 2007; 4; August 14th