HT treatment with estrogens alone or in combination with progestogens was associated with a small to moderate improvement in sexual function , particularly in pain , when used in women with menopausal symptoms or in early postmenopause ( within five years of amenorrhoea ) , but not in unselected postmenopausal women .
The current evidence does not suggest an important effect of tibolone or of SERMs alone or combined with estrogens on sexual function .
BACKGROUND The perimenopausal and postmenopausal periods are associated with many symptoms , including sexual complaints .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effect of hormone therapy ( HT ) on  sexual function in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women .
Is sexual life influenced by transdermal estrogen therapy?
Two hundred and forty‐two postmenopausal women between 35 and 65 years of age requiring hormone replacement therapy for climacteric symptoms were blindly and r and omly allocated to treatment either with transdermal estradiol therapy ( Estraderm * 50 μg/24 h ) ( E ) or placebo ( P ) . The patches were changed twice a week and treatment continued for 12 weeks . No progestogen supplement therapy was given during the study . No previous hormone replacement therapy had been given for the last six months and the women had had their last menstruation more than sin months ago . As a part of a larger study assessing women 's quality of life , a Swedish version of ‘ McCoy 's Sex Scale Question naire ’ was administered at the start of treatment and after 12 weeks . This question naire contains nine items regarding different aspects of sexual life . The difference between the scorings at the start of treatment and after 12 weeks were calculated for each item and the values of the E and the P groups were compared . Items regarding ‘ satisfaction with frequency of sexual activity , sexual fantasies . degree of enjoyment . vaginal lubrication and pain during intercourse ’ were positively influenced in the E group compared to the P group . Items not affected were ‘ frequency of orgasm and sexual arousal ’ . A correlation between improved sexual life and quality of life was also found when the results from the McCoy scale were compared with a battery of quality of life question naires
HT treatment with estrogens alone or in combination with progestogens was associated with a small to moderate improvement in sexual function , particularly in pain , when used in women with menopausal symptoms or in early postmenopause ( within five years of amenorrhoea ) , but not in unselected postmenopausal women .
The current evidence does not suggest an important effect of tibolone or of SERMs alone or combined with estrogens on sexual function .
BACKGROUND The perimenopausal and postmenopausal periods are associated with many symptoms , including sexual complaints .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effect of hormone therapy ( HT ) on  sexual function in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women .