Does testosterone therapy help increase sex drive in women? What are the pros and cons?

Answer From Yvonne Butler Tobah, M.D.

Research shows that the hormone testosterone may improve sexual function in specific groups of women, but data on safety and effectiveness are limited.

The long-term safety of testosterone therapy for women also is unknown. Given the limited research on effectiveness and safety and the number of potential serious side effects, testosterone isn't a common treatment for sexual dysfunction.

Testosterone therapy might be appropriate if:

  • You have reduced sex drive, depression and fatigue after surgically induced menopause, and estrogen therapy hasn't relieved your symptoms
  • You are postmenopausal, taking estrogen therapy and have a decreased sex drive with no other identifiable causes

Long-term safety data on testosterone therapy for postmenopausal women who have a history of breast or uterine cancer or those who have cardiovascular or liver disease is lacking.

Testosterone therapy comes in many forms, such as creams, gels, patches or pills. The method of administration and dose relate to safety risks, so it's important to discuss pros and cons with your doctor.

Testosterone preparations are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in women. So if testosterone is prescribed, it's for off-label use.

There are a wide variety of factors that can contribute to sexual dysfunction in women, which often has more than one cause. These factors include vaginal dryness, medication side effects, chronic health conditions, loss of a spouse or partner, lack of emotional intimacy, conflict, stress and mood concerns. A multidisciplinary approach to addressing these causes is typically best for improving this condition, as the data on the safety and effectiveness of testosterone remain limited.

With

Yvonne Butler Tobah, M.D.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health.

To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.

Dec. 07, 2022 See more Expert Answers

See also

  1. Acupuncture
  2. Amenorrhea
  3. Belly fat in women
  4. Bioidentical hormones: Are they safer?
  5. Bleeding after menopause: A concern?
  6. Caffeine and menopause symptoms
  7. Dry skin
  8. Fitness tips for menopause
  9. Hormone therapy
  10. How to heal cracked heels
  11. How to heal cracked skin at thumb tip
  12. Menopause
  13. Menopause hormone therapy: Does it cause vaginal bleeding?
  14. Weight gain after menopause
  15. Mayo Clinic Minute: Moisturizer tips from a dermatologist
  16. Night sweats
  17. Osteoporosis treatment: Medications can help
  18. Skip flavored lip balm
  19. Time your lotions right
  20. Vaginal dryness after menopause: How to treat it?
  21. Ward off dry skin