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Androgen insufficiency in women.

Glenn D Braunstein1

  • 1Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Room 2119 Plaza Level, North Tower, 8700 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA. braunstein@cshs.org

Growth Hormone & IGF Research : Official Journal of the Growth Hormone Research Society and the International IGF Research Society
|April 25, 2006
PubMed
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Testosterone therapy can safely improve low sexual desire (hypoactive sexual desire disorder) in women. While off-label, it offers a treatment option for female androgen insufficiency, addressing libido, fatigue, and well-being.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Women's Health
  • Sexual Medicine

Background:

  • Androgens, primarily testosterone, are produced by ovaries and adrenals in women.
  • Testosterone acts via androgen receptors or conversion to estradiol via estrogen receptors.
  • Female androgen insufficiency can cause hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), fatigue, and reduced well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy and safety of testosterone therapy for HSDD in women.
  • To explore the role of androgen insufficiency in female sexual dysfunction.

Main Methods:

  • Review of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials on testosterone treatment for HSDD.
  • Analysis of studies examining serum testosterone levels and sexual desire.

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Main Results:

  • Testosterone significantly improved libido compared to placebo in multiple trials.
  • Physiologic to slightly supraphysiologic testosterone doses are safe, with mild side effects like acne and hirsutism.
  • Oral testosterone may lower HDL cholesterol; parenteral/transdermal forms do not.

Conclusions:

  • Testosterone therapy is an effective, safe option for improving libido in women with HSDD.
  • Current FDA-approved treatments for HSDD are lacking, making testosterone use off-label.
  • Testosterone addresses multiple symptoms of female androgen insufficiency, including libido, fatigue, and well-being.