Much of my academic career prior to coming to the vaunted Labs of eHarmony.com was spent trying to determine whether taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was a good or a bad thing for post-menopausal women, specifically whether HRT may diminish the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. Over the course of 12 years I had been convinced that HRT did great things, then thought it may possibly even be harmful, then I was simply confused. The interesting thing is that the impact of HRT (either estrogen and a progestin or estrogen alone in women with a hysterectomy) also seemed to confuse researchers working in other areas as well. The effect on heart disease and various cancers have also baffled scientists and thinking on the risks have varied over the years.

Now there is another study that women need to consider when weighing the risk/benefit ratio when deciding to take HRT. Pauline Maki, now at the University of Illinois at Chicago, has long worked on the effects of HRT on Alzheimer’s disease and cognition. In a recent study on how estrogen, in combination with progesterone, effects memory and other cognitive abilities over as four month period she observed an unexpected improvement in an area that wasn’t the primary focus of her research. Dr. Maki found that the post-menopausal women who took HRT showed a dramatic increase in their sex drive over the course of the trial. Women who took HRT reported an increase in the amount of time they spent thinking about sex and also in their interest in having sex.

The decision as to whether women who reach menopause, whether natural or surgical, should or should not take HRT is extremely complex. Every woman needs to consult a respected physician in coming to a decision that is best suited to her unique profile of risks. I doubt whether this finding of an increase in libido in and of itself will be the deciding factor as women make their choice, but it is certainly useful information.