Do Women Need Their Own Viagra?

Some argue that a female sexual-dysfunction drug is a matter of equality among the sexes. Others say it creates a medical problem where none exists.

'Female Viagra’ — Libido Liberation or Gender Hype?

Is this new drug flianserin really the “female Viagra,” or is it just a drug that empowers women to talk about gender discrimination?

More Complicated Than 'Pink Viagra': What You Should Know About Flibanserin (Addyi)

In a nutshell, the drug has modest efficacy and a side effect profile whose clinical relevance has been debated. High responders to the drug have taken to writing pieces supporting the drug’s approval while critics of the pharmaceutical industry say that flibanserin is another example of profit-driven manufacturing of a questionable disorder.

One Writer Takes the New Female Viagra for a Spin

Women’s sexual problems can be complicated, and Addyi is not a magic bullet.

The Excitement Over Female Viagra Dries Up

But it seems that “female Viagra” isn’t quite the miracle drug everyone hoped it would be.

The Female Viagra, Undone by a Drug Maker’s Dysfunction

Soon after Valeant took over, it doubled Addyi’s price and planned to sell it to patients through a mail-order pharmacy, Philidor Rx Services. But Valeant then announced it was severing ties with Philidor, leaving the drug without a distributor.

The Myth of Female Viagra

The libido-enhancing drug approved by an FDA advisory panel acts slowly on the brain to increase desire—not quickly on the mechanics of the sexual act.

The New “Female Viagra” Works Not on the Genitals, But on the Brain

When it comes to addressing sexual dysfunction, men have no shortage of options. For women, alas, there are none. True, there have been a few half-hearted attempts to address the problem: Doctors have occasionally prescribed estrogen pills and creams, and some European countries have briefly experimented with testosterone patches before taking them off the market. But, for the most part, women’s lack of desire—or hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD)—remains an “unmet medical need.” Enter flibanserin, the pill that gives you back your sex drive. Finally, the Female Viagra!

We shouldn't push dubious 'pink Viagra' pills on women and call it emancipation

Is it really sexist to want to protect women from harm? For the last few years, some women groups have been lambasting the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because it has so far refused to approve Flibanserin, the so-called “pink Viagra” for women’s sexual problems. Campaigns like “EventheScore” and “WomenDeserve” say the regulator has rejected the drug in the past because of alleged gender bias. But where is the fault in wanting to protect women from potential side effects from an at-best marginally effective drug treatment?