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 .
Oral ultra-low dose continuous combined hormone replacement therapy with 0.5 mg 17β-oestradiol and 2.5 mg dydrogesterone for the treatment of vasomotor symptoms: results from a double-blind, controlled study.
OBJECTIVES Guidelines recommend using the lowest effective dose of oestrogen for the management of vasomotor symptoms in postmenopausal women . The primary aim of this double-blind , multi-centre , r and omised study was to assess the efficacy of oral ultra-low dose continuous combined hormone replacement therapy with 17β-oestradiol and dydrogesterone . STUDY DESIGN 313 women with ≥50 moderate to severe hot flushes during the previous week were r and omised to 0.5 mg 17β-oestradiol/2.5 mg dydrogesterone ( E 0.5 mg/D 2.5 mg ) , 1 mg 17β-oestradiol/5 mg dydrogesterone ( E 1mg/D 5 mg ) or placebo for 13 weeks . The placebo group then switched to E 0.5 mg/D 2.5 mg for a further 39 weeks , whilst the other groups continued on the same treatment . RESULTS After 13 weeks , the reduction in the number of moderate to severe hot flushes/day in the E 0.5 mg/D 2.5 mg group was greater than in the placebo group ( -6.4 vs. -4.9 , p<0.001 ) and comparable to that in the 1/5 mg group ( -6.3 ) . E 0.5 mg/D 2.5 mg and E 1mg/D 5 mg significantly improved the total Menopause Rating Scale score . The number of bleeding/spotting days was lower with E 0.5 mg/D 2.5 mg than with E 1 mg/D 5 mg . The overall amenorrhoea rate with E 0.5 mg/D 2.5 mg was 81 % ; this increased to 91 % in months 10 - 12 . CONCLUSIONS Continuous combined 0.5 mg 17β-oestradiol and 2.5 mg dydrogesterone was effective in alleviating vasomotor symptoms and improving quality of life , and was associated with a high amenorrhoea rate and a good tolerability profile
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 .