Treatment with a patch containing the hormone testosterone can increase sexual desire and activity in women who experience reduced sexual desire after surgical removal of the ovaries.The findings are based on a study of 447 women diagnosed with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) after ovarian surgery, who were randomly assigned to receive testosterone patches, at one of three doses, or placebo for 24 weeks. A total of 318 women completed the trial.Compared with placebo, the intermediate-dose testosterone patch significantly improved sexual desire and increased the frequency of satisfying sexual activity, lead author Dr. Glenn D. Braunstein, from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, and colleagues report in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
