Female hypoactive sexual disorder: Case studies of physiologic androgen replacement

Abstract

Menopause, surgical or naturally occurring, with reduced or deficient ovarian functioning has a major impact on morbidity and mortality in mid- to late life. A growing body of literature notes the role of androgens in maintaining women's health and emotional well-being. The administration of physiologic levels of testosterone replacement therapy as an adjunct to estrogen replacement requires further investigation. The Sexual Energy Scale was used to measure the patient's subjective experience of vitality or sexual energy with androgen replacement therapy. Three cases of women who had undergone a total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy with complaints consistent with female hypoactive sexual desire disorder and free testosterone levels of < 2.0 pg/ml are presented. Physiologic androgen replacement is helpful in increasing sexual desire for some women.