Keywords
Testosterone
Drug Implants
Efficacy
Health Risk
Safety
Women
How to Cite
Abstract
Background: testosterone implants can increase serum testosterone levels.
Purpose: to evaluate the benefits and risks of testosterone implants in women, through a systematic review of the literature.
Methodology: a systematic review of the literature was carried out about the benefits and risks of the use of testosterone implants in women. The search was carried out in different electronic databases (Medline, Central, Embase, among others), with free and standardized search terms. In the benefits, the reactivation of sexual desire was considered as the primary outcome; and in the risks the proportion of acne, spotting, clitoromegaly and hirsutism.
Results: seventy-nine publications were included. We found no randomized controlled trials evaluating the benefits and risks of testosterone implants in women. In few retrospective observational publications, the use of testosterone implants in women was associated with improvement in several domains of sexual function and personal distress. Data on long-term efficacy and safety are scarce and the quality of evidence is low. Common risks and adverse effects were found: acne, alopecia and hirsutism, as well as erythrocytosis (polycythemia), extrusion, cellulitis/infection and hematomas.
Conclusions: The benefits of testosterone implants in women are outweighed by the risks, and the incidence of irreversible adverse effects may be much higher than has been reported. Close monitoring of the rational use of testosterone implants in women is necessary.
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