American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Volume 198, Issue 3 , Pages 265.e1-265.e7, March 2008

The effect of ultralow-dose transdermal estradiol on sexual function in postmenopausal women

  • Alison Huang, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprints: Alison J. Huang, MD, MPhil, 1635 Divisadero St, Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94115.
    • ,
  • Kristine Yaffe, MD

      Affiliations

    • Neurology and Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
    • ,
  • Eric Vittinghoff, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
    • ,
  • Miriam Kuppermann, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
    • ,
  • Ilana Addis, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, Tucson, AZ
    • ,
  • Vladimir Hanes, MD

      Affiliations

    • Berlex Laboratories, Incorporated, Wayne, NJ.
    • ,
  • Judy Quan, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
    • ,
  • Deborah Grady, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
    • Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA

Received 26 February 2007; received in revised form 11 June 2007; accepted 19 September 2007.

Objective

This study was undertaken to examine the effect of ultralow-dose transdermal estradiol on sexual function in postmenopausal women.

Study Design

Analysis of data from a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a 0.014 mg/day transdermal estradiol patch in 417 women aged 60 to 80 years. Sexual function was assessed by self-administered questionnaires at baseline and 4, 12, and 24 months. A linear effects model was used to assess treatment effects using data from all on-study assessments.

Results

Women randomly assigned to estradiol had a 4.3 point greater improvement in the vaginal pain/dryness domain relative to placebo (95% CI = 0.3-8.4, P = .04). No significant differences in frequency of sexual activity or other sexual function domains (desire, satisfaction, problems, or orgasm) were observed between treatment groups (P ≥ .10 for all).

Conclusions

Ultralow-dose estradiol resulted in modest improvement in sexual function related to vaginal pain and dryness, but not in other domains of sexual function.

Key words: dyspareunia, estradiol, sexual function, menopause, testosterone, vaginal dryness

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 This research was supported in part by a grant from Berlex Laboratories, Inc and by Grant KLZRR024130 from the National Center for Research Resource, a component of the NIH.

 Cite this article as: Huang AJ, Yaffe K, Vittinghoff E, et al. The effect of ultralow-dose transdermal estradiol on sexual function in postmenopausal women. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2008;198:265.e1-265.e7.

PII: S0002-9378(07)01183-0

doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2007.09.039

American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Volume 198, Issue 3 , Pages 265.e1-265.e7, March 2008

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