The Hunt For Pink Viagra

The sex-drugs-for-women market is largely made up of products that have to be sold with weasel words because there's no real evidence that they work as medications. Google the term 'sex drugs for women libido' and you get a few products describing themselves in terms like 'works to increase your vitality and provide enhanced enjoyment of sex,' and 'age old remedy,' followed by a slew of articles about how complex and difficult the matter is.

The Main Three Approaches

Actual drugs, as opposed to 'age-old remedies' like horny goat weed, that are aimed at improving female sexual desire are usually grouped by whether they affect blood flow to the genitals, the hormonal system or the central nervous system.

Blood Flow Drugs

Starting with the blood flow drugs, these are basically Viagra and Viagra-like drugs like Cialis and Levitra. They function by increasing blood flow, especially to erectile tissue.

In both men and women, these substances work by raising the levels of nitric oxide in the blood, and there is some limited research that shows that women who take one of these nitric oxide vasodilators experience an increase in the flow of blood to their vaginas and clitorises. There's also some evidence that taking Viagra-tye drugs can help reduce the negative sexual consequences associated with SSRI-type antidepressants. The trouble is that women don't seem as willing, or as able, as men to equate physical effects with mental ones. Viagra might make women present the physical signs of arousal but it doesn't actually make them want to have sex.

Drugs That Target The Hormonal System

Some sex drugs aimed at women work by targeting the hormonal system, and the prospects for theses seem better than those for the Viagra-type drugs. Oddly, many of these center around 'androgen therapy' - essentially, increasing serum testosterone levels. These drugs do work, but they're currently available in some locations only on prescription for women with a medically diagnosed sexual problem, or who are experiencing a problem after surgery, and in other locations they're not approved by regional drug authorities because of unkonwn safety risks. Known risks include fears of masculinization - basically, the effects you'd expect to see in female bodybuilders taking steroids - as well as exposure risks to kids and pets. 

The most likely candidate for the immediate future is a variant on HRT: bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. This means taking blood tests to determine blood hormone levels and then using those data to offer an individualized prescription to women based on their own body chemistry.

Central Nervous System Drugs

Drugs aimed at the central nervous system include a drug intended for smoking cessation, which is often used by women without prescription for increasing libido. Known as Bupropion, this has some anecdotal evidence to support it and even some studies, but it's not about to enter the mainstream officially. There's also a sunless tanning drug, Bremelanotide, which is being tested in the US for low libido and has shown some positive results in rats.

We know how to increase the physical manifestations of desire but that isn't currently enough for women.

If you think I've said something great, or something you really disagree with, let me know in the comments section below and we'll talk it through.