Report looks at testosterone / female libido...
Testosterone levels in women not a good indicator of sexual function, study finds.
By Brad Wible
Los Angeles Times
Tests of male hormone levels in women's blood cannot predict diminished sexual function and should not be used in deciding on a course of treatment, Australian researchers have reported.
The report in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association questions the assumption among sex researchers that low sexual desire in women has roots in low levels of testosterone or certain related hormones.
This belief has contributed to growing use of testosterone supplements, including a patch worn on the skin, and the frequent use of tests to determine hormone levels.
The study involving 1,000 women, ranging from 18 to 75 years old, found that the majority of women with low hormone levels did not have low levels of sexual function.
"If a woman with low libido walks into her doctor's office and asks for a blood test to see if she can use that new testosterone patch, well, there's no basis for that," said lead author Dr. Susan Davis of Monash Medical School in Victoria, Australia. "They're totally uninformative."
Dr. Richard J. Paulson, chief of reproductive endocrinology at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study, added: "You cannot oversimplify the problem to simple hormone measurements."
Paulson said the current study, coupled with findings from other research, suggests that the key is not a woman's level of testosterone but rather how much those levels may have changed over time.
The use of a testosterone patch to increase hormone levels may still be beneficial, he said, but the study did not address that issue.
Studies have estimated that more than 40 percent of women experience sexual dysfunction, with the primary effect being low libido. The prevalence of female sexual dysfunction appears to increase with age, beginning in the 30s. Menopause and some surgical procedures, such as removal of the ovaries, also can reduce sexual function.
Some studies have shown that women experience improved sexual function and psychological well-being after receiving testosterone therapies. Procter & Gamble is developing the testosterone patch Invisira to increase female libido.