PSYCHOSEXUAL FUNCTIONING IN WOMEN WITH COMPLETE TESTICULAR FEMINIZATION - IS ANDROGEN REPLACEMENT THERAPY PREFERABLE TO ESTROGEN

Effects of oral testosterone undecanoate (Andriol) on blood hormone le vels, moods, sociosexual functioning and self-image of the body were s tudied in four gonadectomized patients with complete testicular femini zation. In a double-blind cross-over experiment, patients were treated with oral testosterone undecanoate (120 mg/day) or placebo for four w eeks. Peripheral blood was taken for hormone assays at the end of each four-week period. Psychosexual functioning was reported once weekly, mood scales twice weekly. In three patients testosterone treatment res ulted in adult male blood levels of testosterone and estradiol. One pa tient did not show increased steroid levels, possibly because of hyper thyroxinaemia. No systematic effects were found on coitus, masturbatio n, sexual thoughts, scores on desire for bodily contact, and on attent ion for physical appearance. In one patient there was a marked and sus tained rise in the positive moods and a fall in negative moods during androgen treatment. These results do not demonstrate that androgen the rapy is preferable to estrogen in gonadectomized women with complete t esticular feminization with regard to psychosexual functioning.