Women who feel less sexy after a hysterectomy may get a boost from a seemingly unlikely source -- testosterone, new research reports.U.S. investigators found that women who reported a loss of their libido after surgeons removed their uterus and ovaries tended to show improvements after using a testosterone patch for 24 weeks. For instance, half of 266 patch users said they had one extra satisfying sexual encounter every 2.5 weeks.In contrast, 266 women who received a placebo, or inactive, patch, had only one extra satisfying encounter every 5.5 weeks.Patch users also reported less personal distress, the authors note in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology. Women who tried the testosterone patch were equally likely to report side effects as women who used a placebo patch. However, testosterone-takers reported more side effects related to male hormones, such as acne and voice deepening.The study was funded by Proctor & Gamble Pharmaceuticals, which is developing a female testosterone patch called Intrinsa, designed to spark women’s sexual appetite.
