Can testosterone boost older women’s sex drive?

Can testosterone boost older women’s sex drive?

When men’s sex drives wanes with age, very likely their doctor will recommend testosterone to rev it up. Now, new research is saying that older women, who have lost interest in sexual activity, could benefit from the same treatment.

The study, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, found from a review of 36 clinical trials involving almost 8,500 women, that when applied topically, testosterone appears to increase women’s sexual function and even better, their satisfaction.

Women, just like men, also make the male hormone testosterone in addition to the female hormone estrogen.  But also like men, the levels of these two hormones can dwindle over time. Suddenly women may find that, especially during perimenopause followed by menopause, their sexual functioning is not the same as when they were younger.

Using testosterone to boost female sexuality has been debated for decades.  While there have been concerns of the long-term safety of testosterone therapy for women, studies have shown testosterone can increase blood flow, including vaginal blood flow that can enhance orgasm and arousal by increasing blood flow to the genital tissues.  A major complaint of women after menopause is vaginal dryness leading to pain during sexual intercourse and lack of libido.

Back in 2004, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not approve a testosterone patch for women made by Procter & Gamble.  Critics argued that low sex drive in women was concocted by the pharmaceutical companies to sell a product while proponents argued that women deserved a treatment just like men had in Viagra.

Then in 2015, the FDA approved the oral drug Addyi (flibanserin) to treat reduced sexual desire in women who have not yet gone through menopause and is only used when loss of libido is not caused by a medical condition, a mental disorder, relationship problem, or by using drugs or other medicines. Just last month, another medication, Vyleesi (bremelanotide) an injectable drug, was also approved by the FDA for the same purpose.

What this new study has found is that topical testosterone therapy, by gel or patch, could improve older women’s sex lives by about one additional satisfying sexual encounter each month. The authors of the study admitted this may not sound like much but it does make a difference in only having sex as a ‘duty’ to having sex and actually wanting it. The research also showed that women who used testosterone have significant improvements in desire for sex, pleasure arousal, orgasm, responsiveness to sexual stimuli, and self-image.

One concern of using testosterone in women is possible side effects. Testosterone therapy can have side effects for women including acne and hair growth. Other concerns include long-term health problems found in men such as heart disease and the fact that women’s bodies convert testosterone into estrogen, which might increase estrogen levels increasing the risk of breast cancer. However, the study’s authors pointed out that the amount of testosterone used to treat women comes at a tenth of the dose used to treat men, thereby making the possible risks much lower for women.

Amy woman who may be considering the use of testosterone therapy to enhance sex drive should discuss the pros and cons with her healthcare provider. There are a wide variety of factors that can contribute to sexual dysfunction in women, which often has more than one cause. These factors include vaginal dryness, medication side effects, chronic health issues, loss of a spouse or partner, lack of emotional intimacy, conflict, stress and mood concerns. It’s best to search out the main contributing factor to low libido. Once that is known, address the situation by deciding the best route for improving the condition, with the least number of possible side effects.