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 .
A Multicenter, Open-Label Study to Evaluate Satisfaction and Menopausal Quality of Life in Women Using Transdermal Estradiol/Norethindrone Acetate Therapy for the Management of Menopausal Signs and Symptoms
Aim : This multicenter , open-label , single-arm study evaluated subject satisfaction and improvements in menopausal quality of life among menopausal women using the CombiPatch ® transdermal system consisting of 17β-estradiol 0.05 mg plus norethindrone acetate 0.14 mg in a matrix patch formulation . Methods : The 193 postmenopausal women between the ages of 45 and 65 years who comprised the modified intent-to-treat population ( at least one patch and one efficacy assessment ) were required to have reported at least five daily moderate-to-severe hot flashes and episodes of nocturnal sweating upon study entry for at least 1 month and applied one patch twice a week for 12 weeks . At weeks 0 , 6 , and 12 , the women completed the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life ( MENQOL ) Question naire and , as a secondary study outcome , reported the scale of their application site discomfort . During weeks 1–12 , they also kept diary records of number and severity of hot flashes and four other menopausal symptoms . Skin tolerance and adherence of the transdermal system were evaluated at weeks 6 and 12 by qualified evaluators . At week 6 and the end of the study , both subjects and physicians rated their satisfaction with the system . Results : Among women in the modified intent-to-treat population , transdermal 17β-estradiol plus norethindrone acetate significantly reduced the mean daily number of moderate-to-severe hot flashes experienced by women from 4.1 at week 1 to 0.6 at week 12 ( p < 0.0001 ) . The mean ratings of headache severity , insomnia , and vaginal irritation/dryness also improved significantly by week 6 and were maintained at week 12 . At week 12 , 92.4 % of the subjects and 97.3 % of the physicians reported that they were ‘ satisfied ’ or ‘ very satisfied ’ with the transdermal hormone delivery system . Conclusions : The results of this study compare favorably with previous placebo-controlled studies of transdermal hormone therapy in managing menopausal signs and symptoms . Furthermore , quality of life was significantly improved by the transdermal hormone therapy system , and both subjects and physicians reported high levels of satisfaction
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 .