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Transdermal Testosterone — and Placebo — Improve Sexual Satisfaction in Premenopausal Women
Premenopausal women who used transdermal testosterone — or a placebo — reported improved sexual satisfaction in an industry-funded study in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Some 260 women with declines in sexual satisfaction and low serum testosterone were randomized to receive placebo or testosterone (one 56-µL spray, one 90-µL spray, or two 90-µL sprays daily, applied to the abdomen).
After 16 weeks, all groups reported increases in satisfactory sexual events. One 90-µL spray daily offered significantly greater benefit than placebo (mean difference, 0.8 events per month), but the higher and lower doses were no better than placebo.
An editorialist writes: "The small improvement in the primary outcome [with the intermediate dose] and the lack of an increasing effect with an increasing dose makes me question whether testosterone had an effect." She recommends first assessing women's sexual issues "in detail," and then trying conventional treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy.
LINK(S):
Annals of Internal Medicine article (Free abstract; full text requires subscription)
Annals of Internal Medicine editorial (Subscription required)
Published in Physician's First Watch April 15, 2008
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