On August 18, 2015, the FDA decided to approve Addyi (ad-ee) – a new pill made to boost female libido.
The decision follows a long campaign fighting the lack of sex enhancing drugs available to women. While Addyi is the first of its kind, men have access to several libido-inducing options including Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra.
For years, the standard belief has been that only men lose their sex drive, but Addyi is a strike against this prehistoric view – the pill will (hopefully) allow doctors to begin to prescribe proper treatment for women with lower sexual desire.
Critics of the pill, however, think the risks outweigh the benefits. Addyi comes with a long-list of side effects including low blood pressure, fainting, nausea, dizziness, and sleepiness. Moreover, the pill can only be used to treat pre-menopausal women.
Further backlash stems from the comparison of Addyi to Viagra, which some say is a far-shot. Viagra works to direct blood flow to a man’s penis, thus enabling erections, while Addyi works to stimulate dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain to boost sexual desire. Overtime, these chemical levels may be affected. To summarize, a woman’s brain is seemingly the only reason behind her lack of sexual desire, yet, with a man’s brain, that isn’t the case.
Also included in the argument against Addyi is the fact that women cannot drink alcohol while taking the pill. If the two are mixed, this increases the risk of hypotension and syncope aka low blood pressure. Asking a woman to decrease alcohol consumption to increase sexual desire is an oxymoron as big they come. Sometimes wanting sex while intoxicated is a thing that happens, and a woman shouldn’t worry about endangering herself because she’s horny.
Another side effect of Addyi is depression. On the Sprout Pharmaceuticals website, it is warned that central nervous system depression increases if “taken during waking hours.” So women who enjoy morning sex can’t reap the benefits of the pink pill, either. To top it all off, the pill needs to be taken everyday to see any kind of benefit.
In theory, Addyi is a great addition to the medical world, benefiting many women who suffer from a low libido. Unfortunately, this rushed FDA decision has obvious kinks that need to be ironed out. We can only hope our next option isn’t all theory.
