Androgen-based therapies in women.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review without systematic methodology or quantitative synthesis
PubMed 37246051 · doi:10.1016/j.beem.2023.101783
What was done
This narrative review synthesized literature on the physiological roles of endogenous androgens across the female lifespan and evaluated clinical evidence regarding androgen-based therapies (transdermal, oral, and injectable formulations) primarily for postmenopausal women.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical data or effect sizes. It notes that androgen therapy produces dose-dependent improvements in female sexual dysfunction, specifically hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), and demonstrates therapeutic benefits for aspects of the genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM). Evidence for benefits outside these domains is described as mixed, and definitive long-term safety data are lacking.
Why it matters
It outlines the current clinical evidence supporting androgen therapy for postmenopausal sexual dysfunction, emphasizing the tension between widespread off-label or compounded use and the scarcity of approved female-specific formulations.
Limits
As a narrative review, it lacks systematic search criteria, explicit inclusion parameters, and meta-analytic pooling. The abstract provides no specific patient numbers, effect sizes, or quantitative risk estimates, and notes that long-term safety remains unestablished.
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