Androgen May Help Women's Libidos

MichaelCastleman

Posted: Jun 6, 07 9:50am

Evidence is slowly accumulating that male sex hormones, androgens, can help restore sexual interest and function to women suffering libido loss.

Both sexes produce androgens (testosterone and other hormones), though men's testicles produce much more than women's ovaries and adrenal glands. In both sexes, male sex hormones play key roles in sexual desire, blood flow into the genitals, and the ability to have orgasm.

From age 20 to 40, women's blood levels of androgens decline by about 50 percent. As women become menopausal, levels decline even more. This is usually no cause for alarm. Most women continue to produce enough androgens to maintain sexual interest and enjoy pleasurable orgasms. But for some women, androgen levels fall to the point where libido fades and orgasm is no longer possible.

Much of what's known about the effects of androgens on women's sexuality comes from studies of women whose levels suddenly plummeted because their ovaries were surgically removed. These women generally report a sharp drop in sexual desire, fewer sex fantasies, less genital sensitivity, and loss of orgasm no matter how intense or prolonged the stimulation. Nonsexual symptoms also develop: dry skin and hair, thinning of pubic hair, loss of muscle tone, and reduced feelings of mental sharpness and general well-being.

Other studies show that both pre- and post-menopausal women who complain of reduced or lost libido may enjoy renewed sexual interest and satisfaction when they take supplemental androgens.

In one recent study, Australian researchers gave either a placebo cream or an androgen (1 percent testosterone) cream to 31 premenopausal women, average age 40, who complained of low libido. The women rubbed the cream into their inner thighs daily for 12 weeks, and maintained diaries of their sexual interest and activity. Then groups were switched. Those who initially used the placebo cream began using the testosterone and visa versa. During testosterone treatment, sexual interest and function increased significantly. So did the women's feelings of overall well-being.

In the U.S., no drug company offers testosterone cream, but it's available from compounding pharmacists, special pharmacists who make their own medicines. Ask your doctor for a prescription and a referral to a compounding pharmacist in your area, or visit iacprx.org.

George Washington University researchers gave experimental testosterone patches to 562 women, average age 49, who'd had their ovaries removed. They stopped producing their own androgens, and as a result, suffered libido loss. The patches released a measured amount of testosterone (300 micrograms/day) into their bloodstreams. Using the patch for six months, the women reported a 56 percent increase in sexual desire and a 74 percent increase in sexual satisfaction. (Testosterone patches are still experimental and currently not available outside of research studies.)

Early studies of androgen supplementation in women showed troubling side effects: increased risk of heart disease and liver abnormalities, and masculinization: growth of facial hair, hair loss atop their heads, and development of acne. Most clinicians continue to discourage women with heart or liver disease from taking androgens. However, recent studies of androgen supplementation have used much lower doses, and these side effects, while still possible, have become less common.

Breast cancer survivors are often warned to avoid androgen replacement because the body converts testosterone into estrogen, which may stimulate tumor recurrence.

Personally, I advise caution with hormones. The jury is still out on androgens for women's libido loss. But if you're not in any of the risk groups and you feel troubled by low libido or a lack of sexual enjoyment, it's prudent to get your testosterone level tested. If yours is below the normal range, or in the bottom quarter of the normal range, an androgen cream might help.