Androgen enhances sexual motivation in females: a prospective, crossover study of sex steroid administration in the surgical menopause.

Abstract

Various parameters of sexual functioning were assessed in a prospective, crossover investigation of 53 surgically menopausal women. Patients randomly received either an estrogen-androgen combined preparation, an estrogen-alone drug, an androgen-alone drug, or a placebo. Also included were a group of women who had undergone hysterectomy and whose ovaries had been left intact. Two treatment phases, each of 3 months' duration, were separated by an intervening placebo month. Additionally, plasma levels of total estrogens and testosterone were assayed four times during the study concurrent with monitoring of sexual behaviors. It was clear that exogenous androgen enhanced the intensity of sexual desire and arousal and the frequency of sexual fantasies in hysterectomized and oophorectomized women. However, there was no evidence that testosterone affected physiologic response or interpersonal aspects of sexual behavior. These findings suggest that the major impact of androgen in women is on sexual motivation and not on sexual activity per se.

Adolescent Sexuality: Behavior and Meaning

“…Testosterone administration increases sexual interest and behavior in women (Sherwin, Gelfand, & Brender, 1985) and in men with low testosterone levels (Kwan et al, 1983). Similarly, cross-sectional studies by Udry and colleagues demonstrated an association between androgen levels and both sexual motivation and behavior in early adolescence Udry, Talbert, & Morris, 1986).…”

Influence of weight reduction by sibutramine on female sexual function

“…[23][24][25] Androgen insufficiency is related to hypoactive sexual desire disorder 14,26 and androgen, in contrast, can increase sexual desire, arousal, orgasm and satisfaction. 27,28 Weight reduction, therefore, can reduce the score in each of these domains.…”

Estradiol Increases Female Sexual Initiation Independent of Male Responsiveness in Rhesus Monkeys

“…It has been suggested that androgens modulate human female sexual interest (Waxenberg, Drellich, and Sutherland, 1959;Sherwin, Gelfland, and Brender, 1985;Sherwin and Gelfland, 1987). Although several studies show increased sexual desire during combined estrogen and androgen treatment (Sherwin et al, 1985;Sherwin and Gelfland, 1987), in least one study, ovariectomized women with androgen levels three to four times the peak physiological level report little or no sexual desire until receiving estrogen therapy in addition to elevated androgens (Sherwin and Gelfland, 1987).…”