Serum androgen levels in healthy premenopausal women with and without sexual dysfunction: Part B: Reduced serum androgen levels in healthy premenopausal women with complaints of sexual dysfunction

Androgen insufficiency has been associated with decreased libido and arousal in postmenopausal women, but rarely has been evaluated in healthy premenopausal women. In all, 32 healthy premenopausal women were enrolled in this study, 18 with one or more complaints of sexual dysfunction and 14 without. Assays of ovarian and adrenal androgens were measured before and after ACTH stimulation. The women with complaints of sexual dysfunction had significantly lower adrenal androgens than did the control women. There were no differences in the basal ovarian androgens or cortisol levels. After ACTH, both groups stimulated cortisol as well as adrenal and ovarian androgens. In conclusion, premenopausal women with complaints of sexual dysfunction had lower adrenal androgen precursors and testosterone than age-matched control women without such complaints. Further study is required to determine how lower adrenal androgens contribute to female sexual dysfunction.