Do estrogen therapies affect sexual function in early postmenopause?

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"Transdermal estrogen therapy delivered through the skin modestly improved sexual function in early postmenopausal women, according to an article published by JAMA Internal Medicine.

Declining estrogen levels around the menopausal transition are commonly associated with sexual dysfunction, which can be an important determinant of women's health and quality of life.

In the new article, Hugh S. Taylor, M.D., of the Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn., and his coauthors report on an ancillary study of a clinical trial that examined changes in sexual function in recently postmenopausal women. The ancillary study included 670 women given oral conjugated equine estrogens (o-CEE), transdermal 17β-estradiol (t-E2) or placebo.

The women ranged in age from 42 to 58 and were within three years of their last menstrual period. A questionnaire was used to assess and score aspects of sexual function and experience (desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and pain). Scores below a certain threshold were characterized as low sexual function rather than sexual dysfunction because distress associated with sexual symptoms was not evaluated.

The authors report:

•     The transdermal treatment was associated with moderate improvement in the overall sexual function score across all time points compared with placebo; there was not a significant difference in overall sexual function score with oral estrogen treatment compared with placebo..."

Learn more:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170828124528.htm