Intrinsa the testosterone patch for women; "Female Viagra"

The long-discussed female libido aid Intrinsa is being launched in the UK, though at present it is only licensed for women who have suffered premature menopause as a result of surgery. Intrinsa is hormone therapy in the form of a testosterone patch and will be marketed directly as a tool to improve sex lives. (If you are just scanning this article make sure to read the last paragraph about possible adverse side-effects.)

The makers of Intrinsa are cited a relatively new study that shows that "women with low sexual desire who used a testosterone patch had satisfying sex four times more often than they did before they got the patch." This is the first significant study with women who went through menopause naturally. Previous studies, like the one referenced in this 2004 WebMD article used women with surgically induced menopause.

The study showed that the testosterone patch significantly increased sexual activity. Specifically, women who received the testosterone patch reported four times as many satisfying sexual episodes compared with those who wore the placebo (an average of about two per month compared with 0.5 per month among the placebo users).

Researchers also found that the women who used the testosterone patch reported a significant increase in sexual desire and decrease in distress caused by low libido that were greater than those reported by placebo users.

There were also significant improvements in other measures of female sexual function among testosterone patch users, such as arousal, orgasm, pleasure, responsiveness, and self-image. Side effects were mild and included excess facial hair and red or irritated skin from the patch.

Proctor and Gamble, Intrinsa's marketer, is optimistic about the potential for the drug. From a 2004 article in BusinessWeek:

"There's a large unmet need," says P&G spokeswoman Mary Johnson, noting that P&G received priority review status from the FDA. P&G recently conducted a survey on female health, which found that of 30 million women who are naturally menopausal, 3 million are distressed by their lack of sexual desire. Some 20% of 25 million women who are surgically menopausal are distressed.

There are many vocal opponents of the testosterone patch including Leonore Tiefer, Ph.D., a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine and a sex therapist in private practice. Read a 2005 interview with her where she answers questions about her opposition to the patch calling it a "a perilous moment in the history of women's sexuality". Among other things she cites the following potential adverse side effects by referencing "women who have used testosterone products approved for use by men (with acknowledged higher doses than women need) have experienced hoarseness or deepening of the voice, unnatural hair growth or loss, acne or oily skin, decreased breast size, increase in the size of the clitoris and irregular menstrual cycles. Moreover, some users of testosterone products - men and women - have experienced liver cancer."

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