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| Vibrance Newsletter | ||
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| Female Sexual Dysfunction: Definitions, Causes & Potential Treatments |
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| Written by Jennifer Berman, MD | ||||||
Page 2 of 4 Role of Hormones in Female Sexual Function:Hormones play a significant role in regulating female sexual function. In animal models, estrogen administration results in expanded touch receptor zones, suggesting that estrogen effects sensation. In post-menopausal women, estrogen replacement restores clitoral and vaginal vibration and sensation to levels close to those of pre-menopausal women15. Estrogens also have protective effects which result in increased blood flow to the vagina and clitoris15,16. This helps to maintain female sexual response over time. With aging and menopause, and the decreasing estrogen levels, a majority of women experience some degree of change in sexual function. Common sexual complaints include loss of desire, decreased frequency of sexual activity, painful intercourse, diminished sexual responsiveness, difficulty achieving orgasm, and decreased genital sensation. Masters and Johnson first published their findings of the physical changes occurring in menopausal women that related to sexual function in 1966. We have since learned that symptoms of low lubrication and poor sensation are in part secondary to declining estrogen levels, and that there is a direct correlation between the presence of sexual complaints and low levels of estrogen15. Symptoms markedly improve with estrogen replacement. Low testosterone levels are also associated with a decline in sexual arousal, genital sensation, libido, and orgasm. There have been studies that have documented improvements in women's desire when treated with 100 mg testosterone pellets17,18. At this time, there are not Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved testosterone preparations for women; however clinical studies are underway assessing the potential benefits of testosterone for the treatment of female sexual dysfunction. Causes of Female Sexual Dysfunction: Vascular High blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, diabetes, smoking, and heart disease are associated with sexual complaints in men and women. Any traumatic injury to the to the genitals or pelvic region, such as pelvic fractures, blunt trauma, surgical disruption, extensive bike riding, for instance, can result in diminished vaginal and clitoral blood flow and complaints of sexual dysfunction. Although, other underlying conditions, either psychological or physiologic may also manifest as decreased vaginal and clitoral engorgement, blood flow, or vascular insufficiency is one causal factor that should be considered. Neurological |
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 26 March 2007 ) | ||||||
