Testosterone replacement improves sexual function after 6 months

Sexual function significantly improved in hypogonadal men with erectile dysfunction after 6 months of testosterone replacement therapy, according to a recent study.

Study results showed that among patients receiving testosterone gel (Testim 1%) for 6 months, most aspects of sexual function improved, as measured by a standard self-reporting questionnaire.

“This data is an important look at TRT’s impact on sexual function in hypogonadal men with ED,” said lead author Mohit Khera, MD, of Baylor College of Medicine, Houston. “We believe that the improved level of sexual function seen in the study participants suggests that the increases of serum testosterone achieved with TRT may correlate with the improvement in their self-reported sexual function.”

Investigators assessed data from the Testim Registry in the U.S. and evaluated the correlation between changes in the patients’ Brief Male Sexual Function Inventory (BMSFI) scores and their mean serum testosterone levels after 6 months of therapy with the testosterone gel. Patients in the study were hypogonadal men who were using phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors for erectile dysfunction.

After 6 months of TRT, mean total serum testosterone concentrations increased 132% over baseline, from 223 ±48 ng/dL to 452±194 ng/dL (pp=.03), ejaculatory function (ppp

The results were presented at the Sexual Medicine Society of North America annual fall scientific meeting in Miami Beach, FL.

Two of Dr. Khera's co-authors are employees of Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, which supports the Testim Registry.