Drug to boost women’s sex drive struggles for government approval as debate rages over need

[ismnotwasm]

Seventeen years after Viagra, the blockbuster anti-impotency pill, hit the market, not a single medicine has been formally approved for sexual problems in women.

Now, the makers of a drug that purports to boost a woman’s libido by targeting her brain are launching their third attempt to win American government approval, amid a debate over whether there has been a gender bias in the high-stakes field of sexual pharmacology — or a manufactured cure for a medical disease that may not exist.

Next week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will hold a public hearing to review new safety data for flibanserin, a once-a day drug Sprout Pharmaceuticals says restores sexual desire in women by “fixing” an imbalance of brain chemicals that drive sexual excitement and inhibition.

Twice the FDA has rebuffed flibanserin, dubbed “pink Viagra,” over safety and efficacy concerns, leading to charges that the agency is sexist for approving sexual medicines for men, but not for women. Other women’s groups are furious for what they see as a hijacking of feminist rhetoric by drug-company orchestrated campaigns designed to put political pressure on regulators to approve a pill for a “hypoactive” sex drive.

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/world/drug-to-boost-womens-sex-drive-struggles-for-government-approval-as-debate-rages-over-need-for-it#__federated=1

[Blue_Adept]

1. There's definitely things that go wrong along the way

And I've interacted with my fair share of women that have been in counseling over it in trying to understand why they lack any desire, especially when they're very much in love with their partners, etc.

It's one of those areas that gets understudied unfortunately, since it's not about the man. Or you get that male mindset of "she just needs to find the right guy to light a fire in her" mentality.

After watching the Showtime series Masters of Sex, there's definitely a lot of interesting cultural takeaways to make, but also a lot of science that's simply not been researched enough.

[ismnotwasm]

2. The entire clitoral compound was just mapped in the last few years

No one was interested, apparently. Women have been labeled "fridged" as a comment on character, not a medical or psychological issue for decades. That or sluts if they enjoy a lot of sex with various partners.
It's a lose-lose situation for the average women, a culturally embarrassing one. I hope to see more scientific support in the arena of women's sexuality in the near future.

[Blue_Adept]

6. Agreed on all counts.

Masters of Sex was illuminating in a sense as it dealt with the 50's cultural issues surrounding sexuality, and as you watch it (I did with my eldest daughter and my significant other), and we were all talking about how a lot of it is still very prevalent unfortunately. It's gotten better, but a long, long way to go.

[tridim]

3. Both the male and female libido can be drastically improved with good diet and excercise.

Not every solution has to come in a pill.

Be smart.

[ismnotwasm]

4. Missed the point there I think

But that's ok.

[tridim]

5. The point is, heal and strengthen your body, don't cheat with Rx drugs and horrible side-effects.

[Blue_Adept]

7. Some things can't be solved by that

Which is what part of the point was. Good health doesn't equal good libido. There are a lot of people with serious chemical imbalances that cannot be corrected by such things. I live with one, so it's very present in my life.

[Sheldon Cooper]

8. lol

[seabeyond]

10. i will agree with you. diet and exercise takes us a long way in this area. and sometimes need a

drug. and sometimes a psychologist

[seabeyond]

9. that would scare the fuck out of men, then they would figure out how to abuse it. what can i say...

i do not trust.

mans ego cannot handle, womans sexuality.