What roles do estrogen and testosterone play in female sexual health?

What roles do estrogen and testosterone play in female sexual health?

Jennifer Berman (Director, Berman Women's Wellness Center) gives expert video advice on: What is 'female sexual disorder' and is it the same as 'female sexual dysfunction'?; What kinds of doctors treat female sexual disorders?; How does a doctor evaluate my sexual health? and more...

Generally testosterone is associated with libido problems, desire problems. In terms of arousal, that's more estrogen based. So if a woman is having problems with arousal or vaginal dryness the first thing to do would be to check estrogen levels and check vaginal health. And vaginal health is an indication of estrogen levels. And often times when a woman receives estrogen replacement therapy she also requires estrogen therapy vaginally. So vaginal estrogen or topical estrogen replacement therapy is probably the first line of treatment in a menopausal woman.