Testosterone Supplementation to Improve Women's Sexual Satisfaction: Complexities and Unknowns
Authors: Rosemary Basson
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2008)

Editorials15 April 2008Testosterone Supplementation to Improve Women's Sexual Satisfaction: Complexities and UnknownsRosemary Basson, MDRosemary Basson, MDFrom the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V5Z 1M9 British Columbia, Canada.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-148-8-200804150-00007 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Sexual dissatisfaction is highly prevalent among women. In large population-based studies, the prevalence of dissatisfaction ranges from 17% to 25% and is largely independent of age. Similar numbers of women report sexual activity without pleasure (1–4).What promotes women's sexual satisfaction? Apparently, satisfaction is more than simply an absence of sexual problems. In keeping with previous studies (1, 5), a recent community-based survey that targeted women of different ethnicities and ages confirmed that only 35% of women with self-reported sexual problems were dissatisfied with their sexual lives (6). Similarly, lack of desire to engage in sex does not preclude satisfaction ...References1. Fugl-Meyer AR, Fugl-Meyer KS. Sexual disabilities, problems and satisfaction in 18-74 year-old Swedes. Scand J Sexol. 1999;2:79-105. Google Scholar2. Dunn KM, Jordan K, Croft PR, Assendelft WJ. Systematic review of sexual problems: epidemiology and methodology. J Sex Marital Ther. 2002;28:399-422. [PMID: 12378842] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Lindau ST, Schumm LP, Laumann EO, Levinson W, O'Muircheartaigh CA, Waite LJ. A study of sexuality and health among older adults in the United States. N Engl J Med. 2007;357:762-74. [PMID: 17715410] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Laumann EO, Paik A, Rosen RC. 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[PMID: 18023435] MedlineGoogle Scholar19. Wild RA. Endogenous androgens and cardiovascular risk [Editorial]. Menopause. 2007;14:609-10. [PMID: 17715516] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V5Z 1M9 British Columbia, Canada.Disclosures:Consultancies: Solvay.Corresponding Author: Rosemary Basson, MD, University of British Columbia, VGH: Echelon 5, 855 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, V5Z 1M9 British Columbia, Canada; e-mail, rosemary.[email protected]ca. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoSafety and Efficacy of a Testosterone Metered-Dose Transdermal Spray for Treating Decreased Sexual Satisfaction in Premenopausal Women Susan Davis , Mary-Anne Papalia , Robert J. Norman , Sheila O'Neill , Margaret Redelman , Margaret Williamson , Bronwyn G.A. Stuckey , John Wlodarczyk , Karen Gard'ner , and Andrew Humberstone Metrics Cited ByFrom Table to Bedroom: Nutritional Status, Dietary Interventions, and Women's Sexual FunctionSexual Dysfunction in Men and WomenFemale Sexual Function and DysfunctionSexual Dysfunction in Men and WomenSexual Dysfunction and DisabilitySafety of Physiological Testosterone Therapy in Women: Lessons from Female-to-Male Transsexuals (FMT) Treated with Pharmacological Testosterone TherapyRole of androgens in women's sexual dysfunctionPharmacotherapy for women's sexual dysfunctionVeiligheid en effectiviteit van testosteron bij verminderde seksuele tevredenheid bij premenopauzale vrouwen 15 April 2008Volume 148, Issue 8Page: 620-621KeywordsAndrogensHormonesHuman sexual behaviorOophorectomyPsychiatry and mental healthSafetySexual dysfunctionSteroidsTestosterone ePublished: 15 April 2008 Issue Published: 15 April 2008 CopyrightCopyright © 2008 by American College of Physicians. 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