A Single Centre Study to Describe the Changes in Serum Testosterone Concentration Following Application of Testosterone Gel in Post‐Menopausal Women With Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSSD) Already Receiving This as Part of Usual Care in Conjunction With Oestrogen‐Containing Hormone Replacement Treatment (Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT))
Authors' conclusion
We found considerable variation in all parameters relating to testosterone pharmacokinetics in women applying 20.25 mg testosterone gel in a 3 or 4-day regime. All women described clinical benefit prior to the study, with no reports of androgen-related side-effects.
Study context
- Population
- Post-menopausal women with low sexual desire consistent with Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD), prescribed Testogel 16.2 mg/g for ≥6 months, also taking oestrogen-based HRT; mean age 53.7 ± 6.8 years, mean BMI 27.4 ± 4.3 kg/m²
- Participants
- 24 women
- Outcome
- Testosterone pharmacokinetic parameters (Cmax, Cavg, Tmax, AUC, t1/2), with and without adjustment for baseline testosterone
- Follow-up
- 2-hourly for 10 h and at 24 h post-application
Methodological detailssingle-centre, exploratory, Testosterone measured by mass spectrometry
- Single-centre
- Exploratory
- Testosterone measured by mass spectrometry
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Testosterone pharmacokinetics
- Unadjusted Cmax testosterone, median (range 1.3-26.1)
- 6.25 nmol/L
- Unadjusted Cavg, median (range 0.93-20.21)
- 4.51 nmol/L
- AUC testosterone, median (range 35.9 to 458 nmol.h/L)
- 121.8
- Baseline-adjusted Cmax, median
- 3.55 nmol/L
- Baseline-adjusted Cavg
- 1.64 nmol/L
- Baseline-adjusted AUC testosterone range
- 39.45 to 181.8 nmol.h/L
Further findings
Female Sexual Functioning Index (FSFI) score
- FSFI median score /36 (IQR 18-30)
- 26.5
- Highest domain scores: sexual satisfaction and arousal (/6)
- 4.2
- Orgasm and desire domain scores (/6)
- 4.0
- No reported issues regarding pain on intercourse
Subjective sexual function
- All women subjectively reported an improvement in sexual function with Testogel 16.2 mg/g
Safety
- No symptoms of hyperandrogenism were reported
Original publication
A Single Centre Study to Describe the Changes in Serum Testosterone Concentration Following Application of Testosterone Gel in Post‐Menopausal Women With Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSSD) Already Receiving This as Part of Usual Care in Conjunction With Oestrogen‐Containing Hormone Replacement Treatment (HRT). Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). Published 15 March 2026. doi:10.
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