This study like the one above (and
others) have found increased sexual desire, satisfying sex, and increased
feeling of well-being. Other studies support this result including a number in
which for HRT testosterone had been used in women as a substitute for
progesterone.
http://www.regulabuerki.ch/files/pdf/en/Transdermal
Testosterone Treatment
Transdermal Testosterone
Treatment in Women with Impaired Sexual Function after Oophorectomy --New England Journal of Medicine,343:682-688 Sept 7, 2000
Background
The ovaries provide approximately half the circulating testosterone in premenopausal
women. After bilateral oophorectomy, many women report impaired sexual
functioning despite estrogen replacement. We evaluated the effects of
transdermal testosterone in women who had impaired sexual function after
surgically induced menopause.
Methods
Seventy-five women, 31 to 56 years old, who had undergone oophorectomy and
hysterectomy received conjugated equine estrogens at
least 0.625 mg per day orally (Prempo, an atypical HRT which is by far
the worst--jk) and, in random order, placebo, 150 μg of testosterone, and 300
μg of testosterone per day transdermally for 12 weeks each. Outcome measures
included scores on the Brief Index of Sexual Functioning for Women, the
Psychological General Well-Being Index, and a sexual-function diary completed
over the telephone. {Details from full
article at bottom}.
Results
The mean (±SD) serum free testosterone concentration increased from 1.2±0.8
pg per milliliter (4.2±2.8 pmol per liter) during placebo treatment to 3.9±2.4
pg per milliliter (13.5±8.3 pmol per liter) and 5.9±4.8 pg per milliliter
(20.5±16.6 pmol per liter) during treatment with 150
and 300 μg of testosterone per day, respectively (normal range, 1.3 to
6.8 pg per milliliter [4.5 to 23.6 pmol per liter]). Despite an appreciable placebo response, the higher testosterone dose
resulted in further increases in scores for frequency of sexual activity and
pleasure–orgasm in the Brief Index of Sexual Functioning for Women (P=0.03 for
both comparisons with placebo). At the higher dose, the
percentages of women who had sexual fantasies, masturbated, or engaged in
sexual intercourse at least once a week increased two to three times from base
line. The positive-well-being, depressed-mood, and composite scores of the
Psychological General Well-Being Index also improved at the higher dose
(P=0.04, P=0.03, and P=0.04, respectively, for the comparison with placebo),
but the scores on the telephone-based diary did not increase significantly.
Conclusions
In women who have undergone
oophorectomy and hysterectomy, were given oral Prempo and transdermal
testosterone improves sexual function and psychological well-being.
^^^^^^^^^
From complete article at http://www.regulabuerki.ch/files/pdf/en/Transdermal%20Testosterone%20Treatment%20in%20Women.pdf
All 75 women had undergone bilateral salpingo-ophorectomy
and hysterectomy before menopause at least 1 year but not more than 10
years. All had undergone bilateral
salpingo-oophorectomy and hysterectomy. METHOD:
After screening and a 4-week base-line period, the women began three
consecutive 12-week treatment periods during which they received, in random
order, the following regimens of transdermal patches applied twice weekly: two
placebo patches (no active drug), one active and one placebo patch (nominal
dose of testosterone, 150 μg per day), and two active patches (nominal dose of
testosterone, 300 μg per day) (where the nominal dose is the amount of drug
that will be absorbed by a person with average skin permeability during the
application time). Neither the women nor the investigators knew the contents of
the patches. Throughout the study, including the base-line period, the women
received concomitant oral conjugated equine estrogens at their prestudy
doses. The identical-appearing
experimental patches (Watson Laboratories, Salt Lake City) were applied on the
abdomen and were changed every three to four days. 16,17 As a
condition of enrollment, all the women in our study wanted their sex lives to
be more active or satisfying. In addition, the visible presence of the transdermal patches
(active or placebo) might have been a stimulus to some women or their partners
to increase sexual activity. Because the younger women had been in shorter
relationships than the older women (13 vs. 18 years), they may have felt
greater pressure to improve their sexual functioning. RESULTS With the
testosterone dose of 300 μg per day, the increases in scores for frequency of
sexual activity and pleasure–orgasm were significantly greater than those with
placebo…. The percentage of women who reported having sexual fantasies at least
once a week was 12 percent at base line, 10 percent during placebo treatment,
18 percent during treatment with 150 μg of testosterone per day, and 24 percent
during treatment with 300 μg of testosterone per day…. The percentage of women
who reported having sexual fantasies at least once a week was 12 percent at
base line, 10 percent during placebo treatment, 18 percent during treatment
with 150 μg of testosterone per day, and 24 percent during treatment with 300
μg of testosterone per day. In addition,
the visible presence of the transdermal patches (active or placebo) might have
been a stimulus to some women or their partners to increase sexual activity.
Because the younger women had been in shorter relationships than the older
women (13 vs. 18 years), they may have felt greater pressure to improve their
sexual functioning. Treatment with the
higher
dose
of testosterone improved sexual function and psychological well-being
substantially more than placebo
treatment.
