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June 2004»
New clue to women's libidos
By Helen Tobler
June 18, 2004
AUSTRALIAN researchers have uncovered a clue to the mysterious chemistry behind women's levels of sexual desire, arousal and responsiveness.
In research that turns conventional medical wisdom on its head, they found testosterone levels are not related to women's libidos.
Researchers at the Jean Hailes Foundation in Melbourne found women
with low sexual function
are three to four times more likely to have low levels of the sex
hormone DHEAS.
DHEAS is the most abundant sex hormone in women and is converted by the body into testosterone and estrogen.
However, with pharmaceutical companies racing to produce a "pink Viagra" for female sexual dysfunction, the researchers cautioned, that further analysis was needed before women are given the hormone to boost their sex drive.
The research involved 1423 women between 18 and 75, who had their hormone levels measured as well as filling out questionnaires on general wellbeing and sexual interest.
The researchers found women who had scores for desire, arousal and responsiveness in the lowest 5 per cent had levels of DHEAS in the lowest 10 per cent of the group.
They also found that levels of the sex hormones - DHEAS, total testosterone and free testosterone - drop sharply in women from the mid-20s onwards.
The director of research at Jean Hailes, Susan Davis, said the research "debunks the whole idea you diagnose female androgen insufficiency, which is meant to be low sexual function, by measuring blood testosterone".
"Although multiple factors contribute to sexual interest, we have demonstrated that low DHEAS is more likely in a woman experiencing low sexual desire and arousal than in other women," Professor Davis said.
"The findings from this study are absolutely fundamental to developing a sound clinical approach to the assessment of women presenting with low libido."
She presented the findings yesterday at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Professor Davis said women who complain of low libido but who have normal testosterone levels may be missing out on treatment, and it could be worth measuring their level of DHEAS.
Testosterone has become a popular treatment for low libido in women after menopause.
The Australian
source :-http://news.com.au
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