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 .
Different effects of tibolone and continuous combined estrogen plus progestogen hormone therapy on sex hormone binding globulin and free testosterone levels – an association with mammographic density
Objective To compare the effects of tibolone and continuous combined hormone therapy on circulating sex steroids and their binding proteins and their relationship to  mammographic density .  Study design A prospect i ve , double-blind placebo-controlled study . A total of 166 postmenopausal women were equally r and omized to receive tibolone 2.5 mg , estradiol 2 mg/norethisterone acetate 1 mg ( E2/NETA ) or placebo . Serum analyses of sex steroids , insulin-like growth factor ( IGF-I ) and binding proteins and assessment of mammographic breast density were performed at baseline and after 6 months of treatment . Results Estrogens were markedly increased and and rogens decreased by E2/NETA . In contrast , tibolone had only a minor influence on circulating estrogens . Sex hormone binding globulin ( SHBG ) levels were reduced by 50 % , while levels of and rogens increased . Baseline values of estrone sulfate ( E1S ) , around 1.0–1.1 nmol/l , were increased to 44.7 nmol/l by E2/NETA and to only 1.7 nmol/l by tibolone ( p < 0.001 ) . Mammographic breast density displayed a negative correlation with age and body mass index and a positive association with SHBG . After 6 months there was also a negative correlation with levels of free testosterone . Conclusion We found that tibolone and E2/NETA caused distinct differences in estrogen/ and rogen status and blood levels of possible breast mitogens . The negative association between free testosterone and mammographic density could be a possible explanation for tibolone having less influence on the breast
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 .