[Female sexual dysfunction and postmenopausal androgen therapy].

Female sexual dysfunction is essentially multifactorial and its therapeutic management is accordingly diversified. However, after natural menopause or, even more, surgical menopause, age, climacteric syndrome, progressive loss of endogenous androgens, all facilitate the occurrence of the Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD), defined by loss of libido and sexual responsiveness leading to sexually related personal distress. In that prospect, administration of varied medications with androgenic properties has been tried in addition to postmenopausal hormone therapy. Type, dosages, routes of administration of androgens are adapted toward minimizing side effects inasmuch as long-term safety of androgens is not yet clearly established. Recent randomized controlled studies appear very promising in terms of efficacy and safety, at least when androgen therapy is limited to 6-12 months in case of HSDD.