Transdermal estrogen therapy delivered through the skin modestly improved sexual function in early postmenopausal women, according to an article published by JAMA Internal Medicine.
Declining estrogen levels around the menopausal transition are commonly associated with sexual dysfunction, which can be an important determinant of women's health and quality of life.
In the new article, Hugh S. Taylor, M.D., of the Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn., and his coauthors report on an ancillary study of a clinical trial that examined changes in sexual function in recently postmenopausal women. The ancillary study included 670 women given oral conjugated equine estrogens (o-CEE), transdermal 17β-estradiol (t-E2) or placebo.
The women ranged in age from 42 to 58 and were within three years of their last menstrual period. A questionnaire was used to assess and score aspects of sexual function and experience (desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and pain). Scores below a certain threshold were characterized as low sexual function rather than sexual dysfunction because distress associated with sexual symptoms was not evaluated.
The authors report:
The study has limitations including the restricted generalizability of its findings because the population of the clinical trial was predominantly white women with a higher educational background than the general population.
"In summary, in a randomized clinical trial of hormone therapy in early postmenopausal women, treatment with t-E2 provided modest benefits for sexual function. The efficacy of o-CEE treatment seemed to be less than that of t-E2, especially in the subgroup of women with LSF [low sexual function], although there was no statistically significant difference between the hormone groups on overall sexual function," the article concludes.
Materials provided by The JAMA Network Journals. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
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References:
Sherman M. Harman, MD, PhD et al. (2017). Effects of Oral vs Transdermal Estrogen Therapy on Sexual Function in Early Postmenopause: Ancillary Study of the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS). JAMA Internal Medicine. DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.3877
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