Androgens such as testosterone play an important role in health and disease throughout life. Typically associated with men, testosterone remains essential for physiological processes in women as well. In fact, androgen deficiency is often overlooked in females, according to a 2010 review by H. P. Fonseca and coworkers. Their paper, offered in "Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira," suggested that testosterone replacement can improve many feminine problems even when women have normal levels of estrogen.
Restores Sexual Desire
Women report high rates of sexual dysfunction. A survey by N. Amidu and coworkers in the September 2010 issue of "Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology" found that 73 percent of Ghanaian women experienced problems such as sexual infrequency, lacking orgasm and painful intercourse. Testosterone replacement can help treat these issues. A paper by R. E. Nappi and associates in the December 2010 issue of "Menopause International" stated that transdermal testosterone increased sexual desire in postmenopausal women. Most importantly, such enhancement caused no side effects.
Treats Vasomotor Symptoms
Menopause causes many changes in the bodies of women. In additional to sexual dysfunction, they often experience vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats. Exogenous testosterone can ameliorate these difficulties as well. A study by J. E. Blumel and colleagues described in the December 2008 edition of "Gynecological Endocrinology" looked at the impact of adding testosterone to standard hormone replacement protocols. Relative to subjects receiving placebo, postmenopausal women given testosterone daily for 3 months reported improvements in sexual activities and vasomotor symptoms. No negative reactions were observed.
Increases Well Being
Older women are more at risk for psychological problems than older men, according to a review by C. N. Soares in the December 2010 issue of "BMC Medicine." This author argued that menopausal depression largely explains this difference. An age-related decline in circulating testosterone may trigger depression, so replacement therapy should provide psychological relief. An analysis by K. Kotz and coworkers in the October 2006 issue of "Journal of Women's Health" reviewed clinical trials testing androgen replacement in postmenopausal women. These researchers found that exogenous testosterone improved measures of well-being in many studies. They noted, however, that this benefit often required large doses of testosterone, which may cause side effects.
Improves Body Composition
Other female populations can benefit from testosterone replacement as well. Girls with Turner syndrome have low levels of circulating androgens. This genetic disorder causes short stature, vaginal dryness and irregular menstruation. It also adversely affects lean body mass and bone mineral density. Androgen therapy can improve these symptoms, according to a report by N. Zuckerman-Levin and associates in the December 2009 issue of "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism." These scientists showed that, relative to placebo, a year's use of oral testosterone decreased body fat and increased bone density in Turner girls. Similar testosterone-induced results have been shown in postmenopausal women.
References
- "Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira": Androgen Deficiency in Women
- PubMed Central: "Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology": Incidence of Sexual Dysfunction: A Prospective Survey in Ghanaian Females
- "Menopause International"; Menopause and Sexual Desire: The Role of Testosterone; R. E. Nappi et al.; December 2010
- "Gynecological Endocrinology"; Effect of Androgens Combined With Hormone Therapy on Quality of Life in Post-Menopausal Women with Sexual Dysfunction; J. E. Blumel et al.; December 2008
- PubMed Central: "BMC Medicine": Can Depression be a Menopause-Associated Risk?
- "Journal of Women's Health"; Estrogen and Androgen Hormone Therapy and Well-Being in Surgically Postmenopausal Women; K. Kotz et al.; October 2006
