Female Sex | Low Sex Drive In Women – Cured?
December 27, 2009 – 4:53 am
The discovery of a new drug that appears to boost libido in women has reignited the debate into medicalisation of sexuality, with some people saying that low libido in women is an emotional issue, rather than a physiological one.
Researchers from the University of North Carolina believe they have discovered a drug that solely works to boost libido, without affecting mood. The discovery came after clinical trials into a new anti-depressant, Flibanserin. Though the drug proved to be a poor remedy for depression, the researchers noticed that the women participating in the trial saw their sex drives significantly boosted. It was even reported that some of them refused to give back their medication after the trial period was over.
Three clinical trials were then launched to investigate Flibanserin’s effect on female sex drive. In all, 5,000 female volunteers were recruited, all between the ages of 18 and 40 and all suffering from hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), or abnormally low sex drive.
In the latest trial, women taking 100mg daily of the drug now being called ‘female Viagra’ reported that they noticed significant improvements in their sexual experiences.
Having been split into two groups, one where the participants were given a placebo and one where the participants received the drug, those taking the drug reported that there was an increase in the number of sexually satisfying events they experienced over the month. Prior to the trial participants said each month they engaged in 2.8 sexual events, which for the trial group increased by 0.8 after treatment.
However, headlines in various tabloids and broadsheets have been less than positive about the drug. The Mirror ran with, ‘Why the new Viagra won’t revive a woman’s passion’, the Daily Mail’s agony aunt wrote a piece entitled ‘Female Viagra…No thanks! Good sex is about chemistry not chemicals’ and Time magazine went for, ‘Female Sexual Disorder: Myth or Malady’. All the critics were especially concerned that a drug to raise libido would encourage women to ignore problems in their lives and relationships leading to their low sex drive.
Katherine Segraves, an expert in sexual function from Case Western University, said that the coverage in the newspapers was giving a false impression both of HSDD and the potential for the new drug.
“What is so interesting is that women who present with clear HSDD are often in good, caring a loving relationships. The low desire is not related to depression.” She said. “HSDD is a very prevalent sexual problem and many women who seek therapy are very distressed by their lack of sexual desire. This drug may help women with low libido.”
If you’re interested in HSDD, click the links for more information. While Flibanserin is still in the clinical trial stage, we will bring you all the news and information you need about this medication. You can also visit the blog for breaking news about this disorder.
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Tags: female sexual dysfunction, Flibanserin, HSDD
