Menopause is not the most monumental problem for women as they age. It seems decreasing libido causes as much anxiety and worry. There is good news for women who have flagging libidos. A testosterone patch is the seeming answer suggested by scientists.
Like all miracle performing drugs it comes with side effects. It can cause excessive unwanted hair. It would be fine if it were only on the scalp. More serious than this is the threat of breast cancer. This is a male hormone and could play havoc with ones hormonal system.
Dr. Susan R. Davis, a professor of women’s health at Monash University in Australia the study’s lead author says “This is the first study to show that when used alone, testosterone administered by a skin patch significantly improves sexual well-being in postmenopausal women,”
The study was conducted funded by grants from Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of the testosterone patch, Intrinsa. And the results of the extensive research can be seen in Nov. 6 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
The U.S . FDA (Food and Drug Administration) had not approved the drug in 2004as it was not substantiated by appropriate research. So research was carried out on 800 postmenopausal women who were not on estrogen. The test was carried out over 52 weeks and its effectiveness tested over 24 weeks. It was found that the unwanted hair was manageable when pitted against the benefits. And only 4 women were diagnosed with breast cancer, which could have been chance.
“We have carefully considered this, and we believe the likelihood is that this is a chance finding,” Davis said.
Dr. Steven Goldstein, an obstetrician and gynecologist at the New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City, called the new study “helpful.”
“It shows that in the double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, testosterone does have a positive effect on the frequency of satisfying sexual experiences. But, what about long-term effects?” he asked. “You have to wear this patch all the time. That means you’re subjecting yourself to a hormone 24/7,” he added.
