Women Reproduction Health

There are many potential causes for sexual dysfunction, including depression, anxiety, history of sexual abuse, lack of privacy, relationship issues, ovarian failure, fatigue, etc. It’s unlikely that a singie solution will be suitable for all women, as opposed to men. For otherwise healthy men, the primary sexual dysfunctions related to poor blood flow can be due to many different causes (diabetes, hypertension, trauma, etc).

Despite the lack of promise for a unified treatment for all cases of female sexual dysfunction, there is hope for a great majority of those who might seek help. As noted in the surveys investigating the prevalence of female sexual dysfunction, a vast majority reports a lack of, or decrease in, sexual desire, either with or without other symptoms. Loss of libido is not restricted to women, as men have sought treatment for the same complaint.

When evaluating a case of decreased sexual desire, it’s important to rule out potential causes, such as anemia and depressions. Many of the men who complained of low libido were discovered to have low levels of testosterone, the male sex hormone. Raising the testosterone level with pills, injections and patches has been successful in many cases.

Testosterone is also present in women, through in much lower concentrations. While there are normal ranges defined for blood levels of testosterone in women, it’s rarely measured in clinics. Yet, the condition of low testosterone in women has been recognized. Called the female androgen insufficiency syndrome, symptoms include low libido, low energy, poor mood, loss of bone density and muscle strength/mass, memory changes and increased fat storage in certain regions. Another weak androgen called DHEA is also low in many women evaluated for sexual dysfunction.

Testosterone is produced in the testes of men, but it is also produced in women. The ovaries generate approximately half the testosterone present, while the adrenal glands produce the other half. Testosterone levels may drop by half following menopause, certain drugs may lower the amount of active testosterone and disorders involving the adrenal gland can affect levels, as well. Most testosterone travels through the bloodstream bound to proteins. One protein in particular, called sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), binds most of the testosterone to protect it from being degraded and excreted too rapidly.
Only the unbound, or free, testosterone is able to affect the body, building bone mass and muscle strength and increasing sexual desire. Oral contraceptives and estrogens used in hormone replacement therapy are known to increase SHBG, reducing the amount of testosterone available to perform any of these beneficial actions.