Patch could improve sex lives

A new treatment for loss of libido and other menopausal problems could benefit millions of women. Small, transparent patches worn on the skin, that slowly release the male hormone testosterone into the blood, could help with a range of problems, including osteoporosis, depression, anxiety, headaches and loss of confidence.

Preliminary tests on a group of women who had undergone a hysterectomy showed a two to three-fold improvement in symptoms.

Now, new international trials are starting on the use of the patch for women who are going through a natural menopause.

'At last the importance of testosterone for women is being recognised,' says Professor John Studd, consultant gynaecologist at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. 'There is no doubt that it works. We need a testosterone patch for women, and the sooner the better.'

Four out of ten women experience some loss of libido as well as other problems as a consequence of the menopause.

It triggers a whole raft of changes in the body, and while some, including hot flushes and osteoporosis, can be treated or prevented by replacing the body's depleted supply of oestrogen, many menopausal women still complain of a reduced sexual drive, headaches, depression, poor sense of well-being, and other symptoms.

Though testosterone is primarily a male hormone, it plays an important role in females, too. Women produce testosterone in their ovaries and adrenal glands and need the right levels for proper sexual functioning.

As a result, women whose ovaries are removed before menopause lose about half their natural testosterone, along with 80 pc of their natural oestrogens.

'I would like to see the patches available for women and I would like to see the UK included in the new trials,' says Professor Studd. 'Our inclusion in the European part of the tests is under discussion.

'As well as patches, we need testosterone gels and nasal aerosols.'

Results of initial research, based on 75 women aged 31 to 56 who had undergone hysterectomy and surgical removal of the ovaries, show that they significantly improved their sense of wellbeing and libido during the trial.

The researchers said the most significant improvements occurred while women wore the highestdose patch.

The research shows, too, that the patch may help prevent osteoporosis. During the study, postmenopausal women who received both oestrogen and testosterone had a much higher bone density than those using oestrogen only.

The test group used three different patches. One contained a low level of testosterone-Another had higher than normal levels. A third type of patch - the placebo, or dummy, had no testosterone at all.

The women wore each of these patches over three 12-week periods. The study was designed so that neither the women nor the researchers knew which patch was in use until after the trial was completed.

In the new tests, women who have gone through a natural menopause and who are on HRT will wear a patch on the abdomen to send a steady dose of testosterone into the bloodstream.

The aim is to see if very low levels of testosterone administered through the thin, almost transparent patch will increase libido.

The patch, which is replaced every three to four days, provides a constant flow of the hormone without raising blood fat levels, a problem that can occur when testosterone is taken in the form of oral supplements.

'An estimated one in three women suffer from low sexual desire, making it the most common sexual problem in women.

'These clinical research studies may lead to a new way to help many women regain a satisfying sex life,' says Dr Glenn Braunstein, who will lead the trial at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in the US.

By the age of 40, women produce about half the testosterone they did in their 20s. Levels drop further still with the onset of menopause or for women who have had their ovaries removed.

Researchers believe that the diminished energy, decreased sexual desire and low mood feelings some women experience during and after the menopause are directly related to these declining levels.

Most women with menopausal problems are given oestrogen and progesterone, the traditional female hormones. While they tackle some of the discomforts and protect against heart disease, Alzheimer's and osteoporosis, they do little to boost libido or energy.

'For many women who feel they are not quite themselves, the missing ingredient is testosterone.

'Adding it to the hormonal cocktail, even for a short period of time, duplicates our normal hormonal state and helps women better tolerate oestrogen and progesterone,' says Dr William Regelson, author of The Superhormone Promise.