Given the success of Viagra for men, it's no wonder that drug companies are jumping for joy over their latest big rollout—a sex drug for women called Intrinsa. A new study shows that Intrinsa significantly improves sexual desire and satisfaction in menopausal women. But don't jump on the bandwagon just yet...

What you won't hear about is that there are already more natural ways to do exactly the same thing that the new drug does. What does the new drug do for women? Simple, it boosts their testosterones.

That's right; Intrinsa is nothing other than a patented form of delivering synthetic testosterone. I've seen many women - as many women as men - keep their sex drive up by boosting their testosterone levels naturally. This was long before Intrinsa came on the scene.

Today, I'm going to tell you about this new drug. We'll also look at the importance of testosterone in women. And we'll tell you about more natural approaches to safely and effectively restore sex drive.

* A Spanish Fly for Women *

Women produce testosterone just like men, only in much lower amounts. In fact, women have about one-tenth as much testosterone as men do. But, it's just as important for her health as it is for his.

Some of the classic symptoms of menopause such as low sex drive, depression, weakness, fatigue, and low energy may not be from falling estrogen levels, but rather from a decline in testosterone.

Medical science has long neglected testosterone in women. A simple lack of knowledge was partly to blame. But also, testosterone is naturally occurring. Big Pharma can only corner the market and benefit from an FDA enforced monopoly if they create something new. Nature created testosterone millions of years ago. No new synthetic ... no patent ... no drug ... no money ... until now.

Where there's a will there's a way. Industrial giant Proctor and Gamble has patented a new method of delivering synthetic testosterone through your skin. The new study reported at this June's Endocrine Society's annual meeting found good old testosterone to increase sexual arousal, desire, orgasms and pleasure in women who had surgically induced menopause. Of course, Proctor and Gamble paid for the study.

For widespread use, the drug company would like there outrageous prices to be covered by medical insurances. For insurance to cover a drug, it must be necessary to treat a disease diagnosis. Not to worry, medical science is all too happy to mint a new diagnostic acronym for the occasion. These women have hypoactive sexual desire disorder or HSDD.

But wait just a minute. All hormones are double-edged swords. The key to safe benefit is balance. I fear the drug company push to market their new Spanish fly will neglect the need for testing and balancing all sex hormones.

* Naturally Boosting Testosterone in Women *

You should not take testosterone, or any other hormone, without first having your blood level checked. A “normal” testosterone range for a woman is from about 25 to 85. In my experience in measuring hormones in over 1000 women, they often feel better with testosterones not just in the normal range but toward the more youthful higher end of the normal range. Experience is important in dosing testosterone in both men and women. It requires careful monitoring.

A better alternative is bio-identical testosterone, which is available by prescription from physicians with specialized expertise. My female patients have had great success using low dose natural, bio-identical testosterone, which I feel is much safer than the new pharmaceutical patch coming out. These are available in several forms, such as creams, injectables, pills, troches and precursor oral supplements.

I'll be writing more about women's hormone issues – bioidentical hormones and testosterone for women in particular – in the coming weeks. It's important information that I want you to have. And once the Intrinsa commercials are in full swing, they may be hard to resist. Unless, of course, you've already found these natural alternatives and can just say no...to the patch, that is.

Al Sears, M.D.

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