ATLANTA -- Help could soon be on the way for women who suffer from low sex drives by way of a testosterone patch that is designed to raise hormonal levels in women who have had their ovaries removed.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has placed the device on the fast-track approval process after recent study results indicated that the patch could help women's libido.

The study examined the affects of the patch on a woman's libido after she loses her ovaries. Women normally have three major sex hormones circulating in their blood: Estrogen, progestin and testosterone.

Testosterone levels fall gradually as women age and the level drops rapidly after a woman loses her ovaries.

Dr. Patrick Bowen, an endocrinologist at Emory University, was one of the researchers involved in the study on the patch, which sought to answer whether women who have low testosterone levels would benefit from it.

"In women, the clear data seems to indicate that decreased libido or interest in sex may be related to low testosterone levels," he said. "Women normally produce a low amount of testosterone from their ovaries and that testosterone not only affects their libido but their sense of well being."

Although the testosterone level produced by women is small, the onset of menopause leads to further reductions in a woman's ability to produce it.

"Women after menopause tend to have decreases in their testosterone levels," Bowen said, who added that hysterectomy procedures also lead to lower production of the hormone.

Researchers found that women who had their ovaries removed, a surgically produced menopause, and were given testosterone treatments with the patch saw a dramatic increase in their sexual desire and sexual fulfillment.

Federal officials have put it on the fast track for approval because the results were so promising.

Although many may think the patch is similar to the drug Viagra, which is given to men, it is different.

Viagra increases the blood flow to a man's sex organ. Testosterone affects the brain. The amount of the hormone contained in the patch for women is less than 1 percent of the level used in men.

Part of this study involved finding just the right amount of testosterone for use in women, because too much can cause unwanted facial hair growth, deepening of the voice and have negative affects on blood cholesterol levels.

Bowen said more studies are needed before doctors can routinely recommend the testosterone patch for post-menopausal women.

"There are many things that can influence or determine your sex drive besides having had a hysterectomy (and) these things need to be considered," he said. "Testosterone will not be appropriate for every woman with low sex drive after menopause."

Currently, the patch is only being considered for women who have had their ovaries surgically removed. Other things can affect a woman's libido, including depression, antidepressant medications, alcohol abuse and thyroid abnormalities.

The patch also will not help women who have poor relations with their sexual partner.