Hormonal replacement therapy for postmenopausal women: a review of sexual outcomes and related gynecologic effects

Abstract

The impact of hormonal replacement therapy on sexual behavior and functioning in postmenopausal women was examined. A methodological overview discusses issues of subject characteristics, research design, and the assessment of sexual functioning and related outcomes. Current therapy regimens include estrogen, progestogen, androgen, and combination therapy (e.g., cyclic estrogen and progestogen). With estrogen, significant gynecologic improvement (i.e., reduction in atrophic vaginitis) occurs, and this may in turn provide the context for sexual activity/functioning to proceed unimpaired. Although there are medical indications for the addition of progestogen to an estrogen regimen, there appear to be no improvements in sexual functioning beyond those that occur with estrogen alone. Finally, androgen may affect sexual functioning for specific subgroups of postmenopausal women (i.e., surgically postmenopausal rather than naturally postmenopausal women).