For men with low testosterone levels, “normalizing testosterone levels” has multiple benefits, including improved libido and improved erectile function when used as monotherapy in men with mild erectile dysfunction. Testosterone therapy improves sexual desire and satisfaction with sexual intercourse in many men. However, the long-term risks and benefits of testosterone replacement are unknown. Research trials on testosterone replacement in men are ongoing, although results are years away.
While lifestyle, medications, and stress can affect your sexual desire, physiology can also be a factor. Testosterone, the hormone that stimulates sexual desire, sperm production, bone density and muscle mass, could be the culprit (1, 2, 3, 4,. Testosterone treatment has not been shown to improve erections in men with normal testosterone levels. And studies show that it doesn't help men with low testosterone if erectile dysfunction is their only symptom.
Jump to site navigation Skip to page content For women seeking treatment for their low sexual desire, the idea of a “quick fix” probably sounds appealing. Testosterone therapy and booster supplements are among the widely marketed options that may seem too good to be true, because for most women, they are. Low-testosterone (low-T) products for women, such as pills, injections, or supplements such as dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), claim to increase energy, mood, and sexual desire. However, low T as the primary cause of low sexual desire is rare in women, especially before menopause.
One in three women has a low sexual desire, and most patients begin to notice changes in their libido after menopause. However, decreased libido can occur at any age and is often due to problems that are not directly related to the bedroom, such as anxiety, stress, medications, or undiagnosed chronic conditions. While treatments with low T levels are not the panacea they claim to be, there are effective treatments to restore sexual desire and improve quality of life. UT Southwestern reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialists follow a three-step process to identify and address the root cause of low libido.
The first step is to identify the source (or sources) of sexual frustration. From there, we can design a personalized treatment plan that can help improve overall health along with libido. For treatment to be effective, we must first try to understand what is affecting your sexual desire. There is no simple approach: in our three-step program, each patient receives a personalized evaluation and treatment plan tailored to their specific needs.
In collaboration with a team of specialists, your reproductive health doctor will help you identify or rule out underlying conditions and medical treatments that are known to lower your libido. Common medications, such as antidepressants, blood pressure medications, and estrogen therapy, can also reduce libido. The reproductive health doctor may request specific tests and tests to begin to unravel the root causes of symptoms. Often, patients with physical or medication-related problems begin to feel desire again after starting or modifying their care plan.
Postmenopausal patients may especially benefit from specialized care for changes related to hormones and aging that interfere with intimacy, such as vaginal dryness, changes in appearance, or emotional problems. Mental health problems sometimes require a little more time and patience to start to feel the results. Consulting a therapist who specializes in sexuality can help women discover underlying barriers and gain more control over their libido. Personal experiences can accumulate over time, leading to decreased sexual desire and discomfort with intimacy.
Talking to a sex therapist provides patients with a safe space to talk about past trauma, current difficulties, and relationship issues without judging them. A therapist can help you understand why these situations lower your libido and help you find healthy ways to start feeling better. Psychosexual counseling is another avenue that can help women and their partners understand how the mind and body interact with respect to intimacy. In these sessions, the therapist works with the patient or partner to express their feelings, discuss medical concerns that interfere with sex, and find viable solutions to meet their personal and relationship goals.
Your treatment plan will be based on your needs and the results of your evaluations. Most patients will get positive results when they receive treatment for the specific condition causing their symptoms. Some need a more personalized approach, such as adjusting mental health medications or participating in long-term counseling sessions before the desire returns. For most women, testosterone therapy will not be a recommended treatment option.
Testosterone has not been widely approved by the U.S. UU. The Food and Drug Administration for premenopausal low libido, and no major clinical studies have been conducted in younger women. While some postmenopausal patients with HSDD may experience slight benefits from testosterone therapy, especially if they still have a reduced sexual desire after taking estrogen, the benefits probably do not outweigh the risks.
There is very little long-term safety data on testosterone therapy in women. Getting effective treatment for decreased sexual desire before or after menopause can improve your mental and physical health. While testosterone may not be the answer, help is available. Don't be afraid to talk to a doctor about symptoms of decreased sexual desire.
We'll address the problem at its source and help you feel better. To speak with an expert at our Women's Center, call 214-645-3888 or request an appointment online. Men's health; women's health; your pregnancy matters pediatrics; women's health; women's health; women's health prevention; cancer; discovery; women's health, diet and nutrition; women's health; women's health; your pregnancy matters patient stories; women's health; plastic surgery; women's health, member of Southwestern Health Resources. The role of testosterone in misbehavior is largely a myth.
In addition, testosterone plays other important roles in health and disease that may surprise you. For example, did you know that testosterone is a key factor in prostate cancer? Or that women also need testosterone? Testosterone is more than boys who misbehave. Symptoms of low testosterone levels may include decreased sexual desire, loss of body hair, breast growth, the need to shave less frequently, a decrease in the size and strength of muscles and bones that break more easily. Among women, perhaps the most common cause of high testosterone is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
We need more research to know when to measure testosterone, how best to respond to results, and when treatment risks are worth accepting. More than a third of men over 45 may have lower testosterone levels than what might be considered normal (although, as mentioned, defining optimal testosterone levels is complicated and somewhat controversial). In addition, what may appear to be a symptom of excess testosterone (see below) may not actually be related to this hormone. Maintaining healthy testosterone levels is important for gaining muscle mass, improving sexual function, and increasing strength.
The brain's pituitary gland controls testosterone levels too carefully for that to happen. Before looking for supplements that increase testosterone, find out what these products really are and whether or not they will benefit your health. In fact, most of what we know about abnormally high levels of testosterone in men comes from athletes who use anabolic steroids, testosterone, or related hormones to increase muscle mass and athletic performance. The testicles produce less testosterone, there are fewer signals from the pituitary gland telling the testicles to produce testosterone, and a protein (called sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) increases with age.
At the same time, low testosterone levels are a frequent accomplice of atherosclerosis in creating erectile dysfunction. . .
