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Picture of Paper with text VAGINAL RECEPTORS & ANDROGENS Estrogen Androgen 1 2 DHEA Receptor (ER) Re...
Vaginal Receptors & DHEA
03/25/2026

In this article “The vagina as source and target of androgens: implications for treatment of GSM/VVA, including DHEA,” Cipriani, Maseroli, Ravelli, and Vignozzi, examine how androgen hormones affect vaginal tissue and what this means for treating genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), also called vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA).

The authors conducted a review of existing research, including laboratory studies of vaginal tissue, molecular studies of hormone receptors, and clinical research on menopause treatments. They analyzed evidence showing how vaginal cells respond to hormones and how those hormones are processed within the tissue itself.

Rather than simply looking at whether DHEA helped, Cipriani et al., explored the actual structure of the vaginal tissues to better understand what they might need in menopause and beyond...

The article explains that vaginal tissue contains androgen receptors, which means the vagina can respond directly to androgen hormones such as testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). The researchers also describe evidence that vaginal cells contain the enzymes needed to convert hormone precursors into active hormones locally. This process, known as intracrinology, allows the vagina to produce small amounts of active estrogen and androgen inside the tissue.

According to the authors, this finding changes how scientists think about vaginal biology. Rather than being a passive tissue that only responds to circulating estrogen, the vagina functions as a locally active hormone environment that both produces and responds to sex hormones.

The review also examines how hormonal changes during menopause affect vaginal tissue. As estrogen and androgen levels decline with age, vaginal tissues can become thinner, less elastic, and less lubricated. These changes contribute to genitourinary syndrome of menopause, which includes symptoms such as dryness, irritation, discomfort with intercourse, and urinary symptoms.

Based on the research reviewed, the authors suggest that androgens play an important role in maintaining vaginal structure, blood flow, nerve function, and lubrication. Because of this, treatments that support local androgen activity may help improve symptoms of GSM.

The article discusses intravaginal DHEA as one example of this approach. When applied locally, DHEA can be converted by vaginal cells into both estrogen and androgen within the tissue, allowing the vagina to generate the hormones it needs directly where they are required.

The authors conclude that understanding the vagina as both a source and target of androgens may help expand treatment options for menopausal women. Therapies that support local hormone activity in vaginal tissue may improve symptoms of dryness, discomfort, and sexual pain associated with menopause.

You can view the full study, here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/136971...