Since the American Food and Drug Administration approved Viagra for the treatment of Erectile Dysfunction on March 27, 1998 it has revolutionised the treatment of what was, until that time, a largely untreatable condition. It has been a tremendous success both in helping men suffering from ED and in financial terms for Pfizer, the pharmaceutical company that developed and markets the drug. It has also achieved a massive media profile. It is one of the few prescription drugs whose name most adults in the Western World would recognise. It is also a fair assumption to make that most people would know the condition for which the drug was prescribed.
The success of Viagra has, however, slightly unbalanced the equation when it comes to sexual dysfunction. So we know that Viagra will help over 75% of men who are prescribed it to help with their erectile problems. Surely that is an unqualified success when one considers that before the advent of Erectile Dysfunction drugs this was a problem that was largely untreatable? Well it is, yes, but one which fails to consider the fact that for heterosexual men wishing to have sex there is also the matter of their partner’s libido too. Having a great erection is all well and good, but what if your partner has no libido and does not want to have sex? Well it appears that Viagra might be able to help in that matter as well.
A study published this week has shown that, for some women who lose their libido as the result of taking anti-depressants, Viagra significantly increases sexual function. 98 women participated in the study, all of whom were taking anti depressant medication. One group was given Viagra and the other was given a placebo. The researcher found that only 28 per cent of the women who took Viagra experienced no improvement in sexual function compared with 73 per cent who took the placebo. Some of the women who took the Erectile Dysfunction drug experienced headaches, stomach upsets and flushing, side effects which may occur in men who take the drug.
Although this might sound like good news for women suffering from low libido as a result of anti-depressants, Pfizer has made it clear that it has no intention to seek FDA approval for Viagra as a treatment for sexual dysfunction in women.