Patch Your Flagging Sex Drive

There's good news on the horizon for women suffering from female sexual dysfunction (FSD), a condition common after menopause. In a recent study, testosterone has been shown to be a safe and convenient treatment when administered through a skin patch.

Testosterone is the predominant male sex hormone. Found at lower levels in women, it's thought to regulate sex drive. Many doctors, however, are reluctant to prescribe testosterone for women, fearing side effects such as high cholesterol, hair growth, oily skin and acne. Also, the hormone hasn't been available in a convenient form. A gel prescription is messy and difficult to measure, while a combination pill containing estrogen may not be necessary for pre- and perimenopausal women.

Yet a testosterone patch has been used for years to treat men with low levels of the hormone, and now, a study presented at The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' 2001 Annual Clinical Meeting is reassuring about the safety of the patch for treating women with FSD.

James Simon, M.D. of the Women's Health Research Center in Laurel, Md., studied 75 women between the ages of 31 and 56. All were already on estrogen because of a previous hysterectomy with oophorectomy. The women were divided into three groups. One received a placebo (inactive patch) while the other two received an active patch for 12 weeks.

To measure safety, the scientists measured dozens of parameters including blood counts, cholesterol and blood pressure. They also asked about hair growth, oily skin and acne. The conclusion? That there were no serious side effects from the patch.

Michael O'Reilly, M.D., is ThirdAge Women's Health Expert.

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