There’s a little blue pill to get the boys going, but what about your sexual wellness? Two new drugs may be on the horizon for female sexual health which, fingers crossed, will be getting you in the mood in just a few years time.
In the Netherlands and the US, a research company called Emotional Brain has been conducting clinical trials, the findings of which the soon hope to present to the FDA. According to the company, there are two main causes of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD), which is one of the main diagnoses of low sex drive in women. The root of HSDD in women is more complicated that when the issue occurs in men, which is why it’s easier to find treatments for the lads. Henrik Rasmussen, MD, PhD, chief medical officer for the Emotional Brain study, notes that the two causes are:
1. Low attention to sexual cues, or a loss of interest in sex.
2. Maladaptive sexual inhibitory mechanisms. This means that you’re more inhibited, usually because you’ve had bad experiences in the past, and this has affected your sexual well-being.
Emotional Brain has created two drugs to tackle the two causes of HSDD, but both contain testosterone to boost libido. For women who have lost interest in sex there’s Lybrido, which also contains sildenafil. This is the drug used in Viagra which increases the blood flow to your genitals. Therefore, the use of testosterone and sildenafil treats the issue on both a psychological and physical level. Rasmussen explains, ‘Testosterone is probably the most potent driver of libido.’
However, if your problem lies in increased inhibitions, you may be able to find relief with Lybridos. This pill contains testosterone and buspirone, which is a drug used to treat anxiety. This may be crucial if your issues stem from bad experiences or sexual abuse. Rasmussen comments, ‘If you only gave [these women] testosterone alone, you increase libido but because of the bad experiences, they’ll block it. This way, they’re getting the full benefit of testosterone.’ Plus, as both pills start working between one to six hours after you take them, they allow you to boost your arousal (almost) exactly when you want it, without having to worry about any side effects from taking testosterone long term.