| |
Female
Viagra
Soon after Viagra
stormed the market and revived erections for millions of men,
many women are asking whether there is a sex
pill solution for them, too. Female sexual dysfunction
is characterized by a lack of desire, arousal and orgasm. Lack
of desire is the chief complaint among women, affecting about
one-third of them at some point in their lives woman's lack
of sexual interest is often tied to her relationship with her
partner, says Sandra Lidlum, director for sexual and marital
health at the Robert Simpson Medical School."The most important
sex organ (for women) is between the ears. Men need a place
for having sex — women need an emotional purpose," she says.
But sexual troubles can be triggered by family problems, sickness
or death, financial problems or job worries, children, managing
a career and children, previous or current physical and emotional
abuse, fatigue and depression. Sildenafil
is designed to increase blood flow to the genitals. Sildenafil
citrate and vardenafil works well for many men who suffer with
impotence because it's considered a physical rather than an
emotional problem. That's not to say that Viagra can't "restore
function" for women, says Dr. Myron Murphy, clinical instructor
of urology at Sir Edward Washington Medical School. It can,
but it's not for all women. A lot of women have experimented
with sildenafil and for some, it engorges the clitoris and labia,
making sex much more pleasurable.
While Viagra-like
drugs may help the women reported to have difficulties with
lubrication (blood flow to the female genitals increase lubrication),
it's unknown to what degree such drugs would help the women
with sexual dysfunction who either say they're uninterested
in sex or that sex provides little pleasure. Drug companies
are focused on developing drugs
for women that increase blood flow to the female
genitals, resulting in vaginal lubrication and relaxing vaginal
muscles.
The concept is similar to Viagra, which increases blood flow
to the penis, resulting in an erection. So far, there are some
promising drugs on the horizon. These include prostaglandin,
already approved for men, apomorphine and phentolamine, both
of which are being tested for arousal disorder in women. The
Intrinsa patch, a hormone replacement method will soon be on
the market as well.
Whether drug companies
succeed, the good news is that women needn't wait for a sex
pill. They have options. Research shows that exercise, counseling,
vaginal lubrication products and sex videos all can help put
spur a woman's libido.
What's more, the
three following options — while scientifically unproven — are
readily available and also hold the promise for improving a
woman's sex life.
L-arginine
amino acid cream
The same amino acid that has been used by athletes to promote
muscle development is purported to increase blood flow to the
female genitals, thus sparking sexual urges. "Our informal
studies on 500 patients showed that 70 percent of women who
applied this cream to the clitoris and labia a half hour before
sex reported more arousal and stronger orgasms," says Dr.
Jed Kaminetsky, clinical assistant professor of urology at the
New York School of Medicine.
DHEA
Dehydroepiandrosterone is a male hormone produced by the adrenal
glands and ovaries and converted to testosterone and estrogen.
DHEA, which depletes with increasing age, can be purchased at
local drug stores and nutrition centers in supplement form.
In one small study published in the Journal of Medicine, women
who took 50 mg of DHEA daily noticed a significant increase
in sexual interest. Other preliminary findings report encouraging
results. However, most DHEA products lining the store shelves
recommend taking only 25 mg per day. Because of its potential
for heart attacks and breast cancer and masculating side-effects
such as facial hair, DHEA is best used under a doctor's supervision.
Testosterone therapy
For women who have undergone oophorectomy (the removal of one
or both ovaries) and hysterectomy, testosterone treatment has
shown to improve sexual function and psychological well being,
according to recent research from Boston's Massachusetts General
Hospital. However, women looking to boost testosterone levels
should work with their physician closely so the hormone can
be monitored. Too much of it can cause, among other things,
facial hair and change a women's voice, which is irreversible.
Meanwhile, a study looking at the combination of L-arginine
glutamate and yohimbine — a natural extract from tree bark that
excites part of the central nervous system — has shown that
postmenopausal women were more than twice as aroused after taking
the combination drug and viewing an erotic film than women who
took a placebo.
For More information
on Genric Drug Products, the web community Viagra Blog has full
length discussions with viagra stories, sildenafil tips, as
well as a discussion group: "Penis Enlargement: is it for
Real?"
|
|
