IMR Press / CEOG / Volume 50 / Issue 7 / DOI: 10.31083/j.ceog5007141
Open Access Review
Androgens and Female Sexuality: Molecular Insights, Neuroendocrine Crosstalk and Future Therapeutic Directions
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1 Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
2 Department of Medicine, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
3 Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
4 Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, PhD Course in “Translational Medicine and Oncology'', Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
5 Unit of Gynecologic Oncology, ARNAS “Civico – Di Cristina – Benfratelli'', Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
6 Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit, Camposampiero Hospital, 35012 Camposampiero, Italy
7 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Villa Sofia Cervello Hospital, University of Palermo, 90146 Palermo, Italy
*Correspondence: giovanni.buzzaccarini@gmail.com (Giovanni Buzzaccarini)
Clin. Exp. Obstet. Gynecol. 2023, 50(7), 141; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.ceog5007141
Submitted: 17 February 2023 | Revised: 12 April 2023 | Accepted: 6 May 2023 | Published: 12 July 2023
Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Objective: The scientific community has recently directed its attention towards investigating the role of androgens in female sexuality. This narrative review aims to elucidate the central and peripheral androgen-mediated mechanisms involved in female sexual health and function. Additionally, the current state of androgen therapeutic options is discussed. Mechanism: We searched several scientific literature databases, including EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and Scopus, utilizing keywords, index terms, and MeSH terms, such as “androgen*”, “female sexuality”, “female sexual function”, “women’s sexual dysfunctions”, “androgen therapy in women”, and various combinations thereof. Findings in Brief: Progesterone or estrogens are commonly prescribed as first-line treatments for female sexual dysfunctions. However, these medications may frequently lead to therapeutic failure and cause harm by increasing sex-hormone-binding-globulin plasma levels and decreasing testosterone plasma concentrations. Currently, there are limited androgen therapies available for women, and the evidence for their effectiveness and safety is still limited. Conclusions: The knowledge of neuroendocrine interactions that underlie sexual arousal and pleasure is rapidly expanding, and ongoing research is striving to develop more appropriate clinical practices for managing sexual dysfunctions in women.

Keywords
testosterone
menopause
sexuality
androgens
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