Viagra for Women: Is It Real?
After Viagra began advertising its great power, women started wondering if there could be something like this for them. A medicine that would increase female sex drive was not invented right after male Viagra, but the scientists started their researches to try and find something good for women.
According to the University of Chicago 43% women suffer from sexual dysfunction. This is much more than the number of men with the same problem (31%). So, if there is something that could increase sexual drive for women, pharmaceutical companies will benefit more from it than Viagra for men.
The idea of sexual dysfunction for men and women is different: while men primarily have erectile dysfunction which can be treated by the increased blood flow to the genitals (this is exactly what Viagra, Levitra and drugs alike do), women suffer from lack of desire, arousal and orgasm. Lack of sexual interest can be caused by various reasons: mainly it is tied with problems in relationship with the partner, but it is possible that a stressful situation such as childcare concerns, job worries, death, and financial difficulties brings the same result. The desire might be lowered by a serious illness like diabetes, cancer, thyroid disorders, heart disease, neurological problems, and autoimmune diseases. So, while Viagra helps men with physical ability to have sex, it cannot help women with psychological troubles.
Lately there have been two new treatments offered for women, but they still wait for FDA approval. In 2004 Procter & Gamble has introduced Intrinsa which was called “Viagra for her”. It was supposed to become a revolutionary move in the treatment of sexual health for women, but FDA decided differently. They found several problems with the drug and voted against it saying that Intrinsa is not effective and safe.
The next one in line is Flibanserin offered by Boehringher-Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals. FDA has not made any decision yet about the drug, but its nature is very suspicious. The manufacturer does not say much about Flibancerin, except that it is “a molecule acting on the central nervous system and is not a hormone product”. Any interviews and questions were declined.
Bremelanotide is another candidate for female Viagra. It is still in the phase of development and testing, but Palatin Technologies plans to make it work in both ways: for men and women. So far it is known that Bremelanotide is a new chemical created in a laboratory. It should be applied as a nasal spray to work on the central nervous system and hypothalamus (the part of the brain involved in sexual arousal) in particular.
