Three years ago, the first and only drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the female sex drive appeared, and for a while it seemed as if women finally had their own version of Viagra.Called Addyi, the little pink pill promised to help women reinvigorate their sex lives. However, shortly after the drug's launch, its developer, Sprout Pharmaceuticals, was sold and excitement about the new pill was halted.
Now the drug is back with an attractive new price tag and distribution model. Recently relaunched by Sprout Pharmaceuticals, Addyi is officially available for sale via telemedicine, where doctors can diagnose and prescribe patients online.
While the original pill cost $800 per month, it will now increase to $99 per month. It may be as little as $25 if your insurance covers it.
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What is Addyi and what does it treat?
Addyi, also known as flibanserin, is a non-hormonal daily prescription pill for premenopausal women who have hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). In other words, it's for women who face a chronic libido that causes extreme interpersonal tension and distress.
Many women pass HSDD as normal ebbs and flows of sexual desire. But symptoms usually last at least six months and can include limited or no interest in sexual activity, few or no sexual thoughts or fantasies, and a lack of pleasure when the genitals are stimulated.
Until now, it has been a bit difficult for clinicians to understand what specifically causes DSH. However, as Addyi's packaging states, this is not caused by pre-existing medical or mental health conditions, relationship problems, or other medications or drug use.
How does it work?
Women have been waiting for a long time for a woman Viagra to increase their sexual drives. However, Addyi functions very differently from her male counterpart. While Viagra improves a man's erection by increasing blood flow to the genitals, Addyi responds to a woman's desire for sex, not the sexual organs.
It does this by working on the part of the brain responsible for sexual interest. It targets the neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin.
Until now, researchers have not been able to decode why or how serotonin affects libido. However, as a result of taking Addyi, women may experience stronger sexual desire and more "sexually satisfying" events (think intercourse, oral sex, masturbation, or genital stimulation by a partner).
The researchers found that the increase in the number of sexually satisfying events was small. They reported an increase of about half a sexually satisfying event each month.
He's seen his share of controversy
Some experts say the overall results are minimal.
“The biggest problem, for me, is that the magnitude of the effect is minimal for a drug that you're supposed to take every day for the rest of your life,” Nicole Prause, PhD, sexual psychophysiologist and founder of the sexual biotechnology company Liberos, told Healthline. “According to the study, they experience less than one satisfying sexual episode per month. »
And then there are the black box warnings for the drug, which include dry mouth, insomnia, dizziness, drowsiness, nausea and very low blood pressure.
When mixed with alcohol, Addyi can even cause some women to faint. In fact, people ordering the drug must first sign a contract stating that they will not consume alcohol while taking Addyi.
Finally – and perhaps most importantly – is the root cause of low libido. Women who suffer from HSDD tend to have hormonal imbalances, such as estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone deficiencies, none of which are altered by Addyi.
Additionally, research has shown that relationship and interpersonal issues have a profound impact on women's sexual desire. Maybe you just had a baby, had a fight with your partner, or just don't feel connected that day – all of which can be attributed to a tired desire to have sex. For this reason, many health experts say that a simple pill cannot solve these problems.
“Problems with sexual urges are most often due to discordance with the partner, not to truly low willpower. Couples therapy – such as behavioral couples therapy – can therefore be useful. The challenge is, of course, everyone wants a shortcut,” Prause said.
Should you take it?
Research indicates that up to 43% of women have low sexual desire worldwide. However, only 10% suffer from HSDD, a prerequisite for Addyi.
“I think one thing to understand about Addyi is that it's not as simple as taking one pill a day and suddenly changing into a different person,” said Dr. Michael Ingber, a urologist at the Center for Specialty Health. for women in New Jersey. “For Addyi to be successful, women using it will still need other factors, including good mood, reduced stress levels and, of course, the right partner.”
Ingber noted that many women taking this drug will experience an increase in their sexual inclination compared to their baseline level.
Sexual function in women is complex. Women who have low libido should undergo a sexual medicine evaluation to understand and effectively treat the various factors at play. Additionally, seeing a mental health specialist and sex therapist can be crucial to creating a healthy sex life.
So while Addyi may not be a one-stop shop for most women, it can also help bring about some much-needed libido changes that some women are looking for.
