September 8, 2000

Testosterone skin patch improves sexual functioning in surgically menopausal women

A multi-institutional research group has found that use of an experimental testosterone skin patch can relieve impaired sexual functioning in surgically menopausal women –  that is, women who have had their ovaries removed before natural menopause. The report in the Sept. 7 New England Journal of Medicine comes from a team led by researchers from the MGH and Watson Laboratories, Inc.-Utah, the developers of the patch.

"We know that women who have gone through menopause after surgical removal of their ovaries have decreased testosterone levels," says Jan Shifren, MD, of the MGH Vincent Memorial Obstetrics and Gynecology Service, the paper's lead author. "This study indicates that women who have experienced a loss of sexual functioning after such surgery may benefit from returning their testosterone levels to normal through use of a testosterone skin patch."

Women produce testosterone in their ovaries and adrenal glands and may require sufficient levels of the hormone for proper sexual functioning. About half of a woman's testosterone comes from the ovaries. Women whose ovaries are removed before menopause lose about half their natural testosterone, along with 80 percent of their natural estrogens.

The randomized, double-blinded study enrolled 75 women who reported dissatisfaction with their sex lives after having hysterectomy and oophorectomy (surgical removal of the ovaries). During the 36-week study, the women went through three consecutive 12-week treatment periods during which they received, in random order, three combinations of skin patches that delivered either a low dose of testosterone, a higher dose (still within the normal range for healthy young women) or a placebo. The women reported greater levels of sexual activity and pleasure and improved overall psychological well-being while taking the higher doses of testosterone.

Shifren and her colleagues have started a larger-scale, national study of the testosterone patch, which has not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Women who have undergone surgical menopause and are interested in enrolling in the study should call (877) 54-WOMEN for more information.