Listen up all you ladies suffering from a low libido, the “Viagra for women” is here. Doctors testing a new anti-depressant drug, fibanserin, discovered that it didn’t do much to brighten moods. It did, however, unexpectedly increase sexual desire and satisfaction for women. Like Viagra, which was originally tested as a heart medicine, the discovery was completely accidental. The big difference with fibanserin as opposed to Viagra, is that it targets the brain instead of the genitals. Who said that your brain isn’t your most important sexual organ?! According to recent studies, of the over 2,000 women who partook in clinical trials, those who took the highest doses (100 mg) “reported having more frequent and more satisfying sex and greater desire. They were also less distressed about their previous sexual problems.”
Hmm. Sounds nice, but is there a catch? Could drug companies just be exaggerating female sexual problems in order to create a new market and make some more dough? According to feminist author and sex researcher Shere Hite, “It is not arousal pills we need but a whole new kind of physical relations. The pharmaceutical industry is guilty not just of cynical money-grabbing exaggeration, it has misunderstood the basics of female sexuality.”
One thing is for sure, if fibanserin does make it to the market, it will definitely push the discussion of the nature of female sexual desire to the forefront.
Image courtesy of Next Generation Pharmaceutical. Quotes courtesy of The Independent.
