Salivary Testosterone Levels Do Not Reflect Serum Levels in Postmenopausal Women

Poor correlation does not support routine measurement of salivary testosterone.

Some believe that low testosterone levels contribute to symptoms of hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in women, but measurement has been challenging because levels of circulating testosterone are low and subject to cross-reactivity with other similarly structured androgens. Moreover, circulating testosterone has several forms (total [TT], free [FT], and bioavailable [BT; free plus albumin-bound]), but which form is most advantageous to measure is not clear. Salivary testosterone levels have been suggested to reflect BT.

To address these issues, investigators compared circulating levels of TT, FT, and BT with salivary levels of testosterone in a subset of naturally or surgically menopausal women with HSDD symptoms who were participatin…

Reviewing Author

Robert W. Rebar, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardMyovant Sciences, Inc.

Editorial BoardsEndoText; Clinical OB/GYN Alert

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society for Reproductive Medicine (Member, Ethics Committee)

Robert W. Rebar, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardMyovant Sciences, Inc.

Editorial BoardsEndoText; Clinical OB/GYN Alert

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society for Reproductive Medicine (Member, Ethics Committee)

Salivary Testosterone Levels Do Not Reflect Serum Levels in Postmenopausal Women

Topics

Reviewing Author