Testosterone Patch and Women's Sexual Desire

Filed in archive Studies , Treatment on August 18, 2007

Women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) may benefit from low dose testosterone treatment via a testosterone patch.

[HSDD is a condition in women wherein there is persistent or recurrent deficiency and/or absence of sexual fantasies/thoughts, and/or desire for, or receptivity to sexual activity, which can cause personal distress.]

The findings, published in the current issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine, demonstrated that in women with HSDD, transdermal testosterone patch treatment resulted in significant improvements in the frequency of satisfying sexual activity and sexual desire, as well as a decrease in sexual distress.

Testosterone patch or transdermal testosterone is used to treat the symptoms of low testosterone in men who do not produce enough natural testosterone and are commercially available in the following brands:

• Androderm®


• AndroGel®


• Delatestryl®


• Depo®-Testosterone


• Testim®


• Testoderm®


• Testoderm® TTS


• Testopel® Pellets


• Virilon® IM

According to Jan Shifren, co-author of the study:

"These findings not only confirm the clinical effectiveness of transdermal testosterone, but provide benchmarks for the degree of improvement in sexual function that all future therapies for this disorder should try to attain."

Women with HSDD are usually those postmenopausal, especially those whose ovaries or uterus have been surgically removed.

Source: Science Daily


[Photo Credit: Sydney Morning Herald]