Thursday, 3 November 2011

Hysterectomy and Female Sexual Dysfunction

Female libido enhancers – Reignite your sexual life

Female sexuality encompasses physiological, psychological, cultural, social, political and religious aspects of sex. It varies across different regions and cultures of the world. Female sexual dysfunction affects the lives of many women worldwide. It comprises of symptoms like loss of sexual desire, loss of arousal, problem getting orgasm, painful sexual intercourse.

Female sexual dysfunction

A female sexual response cycle is defined as having excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution phase. Sex hormones such as oestrogen, progesterone, and in small amount testosterone plays a major role in regulating these phases. Every woman faces fluctuation in the levels of these hormones on a monthly basis due to menstrual periods. But as the period ends, these hormones regain their normal levels and everything restores to its equilibrium.

Some physical factors such as pregnancy, pelvic surgery, sexually transmitted diseases and menopause can also cause hormonal imbalance. Particularly speaking about menopause, the hormone levels are never restored naturally after menopause. Post menopause, ovaries cease to produce sex hormones. This drop in hormone level can cause female sexual dysfunction. When a woman has no sex drive and cannot get sexually aroused and have orgasm, the condition is known as hypoactive sexual desire disorder.

Hysterectomy is a surgery, which involves removal of all or part of a woman's reproductive organs. It is a typical surgical procedure to treat cancer, chronic pain, or heavy bleeding. Removal of ovaries can cause menopause to set in earlier than the actual time. It can also lead to female sexual dysfunction symptoms such as loss of sexual drive and problem getting an orgasm.

Female libido enhancers

There are various female libido enhancers on the market. Let's shed some light on recent discoveries in the field of female sexual dysfunction treatments.

Hormone replacement therapy – It is the most commonly prescribed treatment designed to replace oestrogen and progesterone. Hormone replacement therapy is proven to ease symptoms of menopause. Women who undergo menopause naturally, need to take oestrogen along with progestin, a synthetic version of progesterone. This is because oestrogen without progestin increases the risk of endometrial cancer.

Testosterone patch treatment – Testosterone has been known as primary sex hormone in males, but it also plays a major role in orchestrating female sexual function. Imbalance in the level of testosterone due to hysterectomy can affect the sexual function of females. Testosterone patches are considered as safe and effective for the treatment of female sexual dysfunction. These patches, when applied on the skin, release a controlled dose of testosterone into the bloodstream.

Intrinsa patch is one such female libido enhancer that contains 300mg of testosterone in a single patch. To get positive results from this patch, it should be used for long period of time, preferably for months. A single patch of Intrinsa can be applied on clean, dry, and hairless skin on the lower abdomen below the waist. A woman needs to wear this patch continuously for 72 hours and should be changing it every 3 to 4 days. Oestrogen therapy should be started before taking Intrinsa patches. Clinical trials suggest that after using Intrinsa patch, about 51% of women who had post- hysterectomy menopause reported improved sexual performance.

For more information on menopause visit our health blog : Online Medicines and Treatment in UK