Absolutely Everything You Need to Know About 'Female Viagra'

Does it actually work for women and people with vaginas?

By The Editors
21 November, 2018
Absolutely Everything You Need to Know About 'Female Viagra'

Dr Clare Morrison, from online doctor and pharmacy MedExpress explains everything you need to know about 'female Viagra'.

Viagra is a drug licensed to help men [and people with penises] with erectile dysfunction, and impotence, and it's been around for ages and recently been made available over the counter in Boots. This has got women and vagina-having people thinking: if there's a simple pill that can help them improve their sex lives, maybe it could work just as well for us. This doesn’t come as a surprise, considering nearly half of all self-identifying women aged 30-50 have experienced a period of low sexual libido.

Here's what you should know about the drug...

Female Viagra - is it safe and how does it work?

 

What is 'female Viagra'?

The first drug to treat low sexual desire in women [and people with vaginas], ‘female Viagra’, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This drug is called Flibanserin, branded as Addyi, and was originally developed as an antidepressant. Addyi is a non-hormonal medicine used to treat hypoactive sexual desire disorder in people (HSDD) who have not yet reached menopause. HSDD is characterised by low sexual desire that isn't due to existing medical or psychiatric conditions, or problems within a relationship.

It's not yet licensed for use in the UK, but many online pharmacies sell generic Viagra (such as Sildenafil) packaged up as 'female Viagra' - the pills are pink, obvs. More on whether it's safe for women and people with vaginas to take that later...

Be warned, there is no real alternative female Viagra. Although certain websites may advertise female Viagra, these are often herbal supplements which have no effect, or can be harmful to your health. There is no evidence to support any claims that these remedies actually improve sexual experience. You should be wary of online sellers as you could be putting your health at risk, and many of them are illegal.

 


How does female Viagra work?

Female Viagra should not be compared to 'male Viagra'. The active ingredient in 'male Viagra' [for people with penises] is Sildenafil, which belongs to a class of drugs called phosphodiesterase inhibitors. This works to treat erectile dysfunction by relaxing the muscles and dilating the blood vessels in the penis, which then increases blood flow to the area and causes an erection when sexually stimulated.

Female Viagra - is it safe and how does it work?

Sexual dysfunction in women [and people with vaginas] is characterised by a lack of desire, arousal or orgasm. Generic Viagra aims to enhance performance, while 'female Viagra' aims to balance chemicals in the brain that relate to desire, increase sexual recall and sensitivity to stimulation. There has been no significant evidence that Viagra for women [and people with vaginas] works in the same way it does for men [and those with penises], as sexual dysfunction in women [and people with vaginas] has many different causes and symptoms varying from painful sex to loss of libido, it is hard to directly compare the two.


Is 'female Viagra' safe?

The most common side effects of Addyi/flibanserin include:

• dizziness
• difficulty falling asleep or remaining asleep
• nausea
• dry mouth
• tiredness
• hypotension, or low blood pressure
• fainting or loss of consciousness

 

How effective is it?

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So far, it hasn’t proven to be 100 per cent effective, especially as every body is different, but the drug is showing signs that it could potentially be a solution to a seemingly large problem.

"It could potentially be a solution"

The FDA approval of the drug was based on the results of three clinical trials, each lasted 24 weeks and evaluated the efficacy of flibanserin in premenopausal [people]. The investigators and the FDA analysed the results of the trials and it was found that about 10 per cent of participants reported a “much improved” or “very much improved” status in trial from weeks eight to 24.


Viagra for fertility treatment

Viagra has also been trialled as a fertility treatment by researchers from the Sher Institute of Reproductive Medicine in Nevada. Infertility can be linked with the lining of the uterus being too thin for the egg to implant. Viagra is hoped to prove useful in thickening the lining of the uterus to improve the chances of pregnancy.


Viagra to treat period pain

Viagra could also be used to treat period pain. Researchers at the Penn State College of Medicine believe that Viagra’s impact on blood flow qualifies it as a possible treatment for menstrual problems such as period pain and cramps.

 

A small sample of 25 women confirmed they believed their monthly symptoms were less painful under the influence of Viagra. More trials are planned to investigate this further.

 

Could you just take 'male Viagra'?

Sexual desire and libido are complicated subjects. The big issue here is that men [and people with penises] and women [and people with vaginas] are fundamentally different when it comes to sexual arousal, so an effective solution for one is not likely to be of much help to another.

Remember the drug hasn't been licensed for women and people with vaginas

Scientific research that has tested the effect of Viagra on women [and people with vaginas] is not very promising. While the way the drug works to increase blood flow to the area is useful to increase the physical arousal of the body, the drug does not appear to have any effect whatsoever on sexual desire. Although there have been a few small studies - such as a trial run by UCLA - which have shown that Viagra improved sexual enjoyment, further studies have been unable to replicate this success.

The fact that Viagra has not been licensed for use by women [and people with vaginas] is a strong indicator that the drug manufacturers have been unable to produce successful clinical trials which indicate that the drug is a safe and effective treatment.

The same side effects can be experienced for anyone taking Viagra, including: headaches, indigestion, flushed skin, dizziness and diarrhoea. In more serious cases, this medication can cause a heart attack or stroke, the rarer and severe erection-related side effects won’t affect [people with vaginas], however. There hasn’t been much scientific research about the negative effects of Viagra for women [and people with vaginas], for this reason, there may also be other gender-specific effects and the medium/long-term risks are unknown.

Credit: Cosmopolitan
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