Transdermal Estrogen Moderately Improves Sexual Function During Early Menopause

By Amy Orciari Herman

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Jaye Elizabeth Hefner, MD

Transdermal estrogen may help improve sexual function in women during the early years of menopause, according to a JAMA Internal Medicine study. Oral estrogen, however, did not appear beneficial.

Nearly 700 women who were within 3 years of their last menstrual period were randomized to receive transdermal 17β-estradiol, oral conjugated equine estrogens, or placebo for 4 years. (The estrogen groups also received progesterone, and the placebo group received placebo progesterone.)

At 4 years, the mean overall sexual function score had increased by 2.6 points (out of a possible 36) with transdermal estrogen relative to placebo — a moderate but statistically significant difference. Oral estrogen did not differ significantly from placebo or transdermal estrogen.

Several individual components of the overall score, including pain and lubrication, favored transdermal estrogen over placebo.

The authors note that it's unknown whether transdermal estrogen improved distress related to sexual dysfunction.