A Libido-Boosting Pill for Women May Be Coming Soon
By admin
Having trouble getting in the mood? A quick fix might be on the way. Two new drugs are currently being tested to treat female sexual dysfunction. Fingers crossed—women may even get their own version of the little blue pill in just a few years!
A research company in the Netherlands called Emotional Brain has been conducting clinical trials in both the Netherlands and the U.S., and they hope to present these findings to the FDA soon. They found that there are two main causes of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD), one of the main diagnoses of low sex drive in women. HSDD is either caused by low attention to sexual cues (loss of interest in sex) or maladaptive sexual inhibitory mechanisms (increased inhibitions usually stemming from bad experiences with sex), says Henrik Rasmussen, MD, PhD, chief medical officer for the Emotional Brain study. Basically, it’s a lot more complicated than erectile dysfunction in men, which is why it’s been so hard to find a treatment that works.
Both new drugs contain testosterone to boost libido, but they work differently to treat the two causes of HSDD. Lybrido contains a combination of testosterone and sildenafil (a drug also used in Viagra, which increases blood flow to the genitals) to treat women who’ve lost interest in sex, says Rasmussen. This treats the issue both locally (by increasing blood flow down below) and psychologically (by amping up testosterone to boost libido). While some women have already been taking Viagra off-label to boost arousal, they’re only getting the increased blood flow without any psychological component. “Testosterone is probably the most potent driver of libido,” says Rasmussen.
The other pill, Lybridos, contains testosterone and buspirone (a drug used to treat anxiety), to decrease women’s inhibitions about sex. This is crucial for women whose issues may stem from bad experiences or sexual abuse. “If you only gave them testosterone alone, you increase libido but because of the bad experiences, they’ll block it,” says Rasmussen. “This way, they’re getting the full benefit of testosterone.”
Another unique aspect of these pills is that they’re taken orally (dissolved under the tongue) and start working between one to six hours after you take them, according to Rasmussen. Compare that to Viagra, which kicks in for men in about 30 minutes and lasts up to four hours. It would basically allow women to boost their arousal (almost) exactly when they want it, without having to worry about any side effects from taking testosterone long term, says Rasmussen.
While the drugs are still in clinical trials (along with a nasal spray intended to increase your libido), researchers are hopeful that they’ll be able to approach the FDA with their data soon. They anticipate that the drug could be available as early as 2015, according to Emotional Brain’s website.
Until then, check out our tips for amping up your desire without a pill:
14 Sexy Tricks to Boost Your Libido
The Simple Way to Boost Arousal