We have all heard about the little blue pill but have you heard about the little pink pill?
The little blue pill, Viagra, treats erectile dysfunction in men. It is one of the many FDA approved treatments available for men who suffer from sexual dysfunction. Really, men have over 20 approved drugs to choose from. Until now, the FDA have been very slow, and dare we say it, reluctant, to approve similar medications for women. Really, to this date, there is not 1 single approved drug specifically for women. There is no question that the FDA sexual dysfunction bias exists.
The FDA say that the reason for the bias is down to the complexity of reasons behind why women suffer from sexual dysfunction. In the past they seem to have based the issue on a multitude of psychological and social reasons rather than accepting that it is a medical condition that can be treated. There is no one drug that exists to help cure all women with female sexual dysfunction. There might not be a “one drug cures all” but there are treatments that can help specific cases caused by specific triggers.
You know, Viagra, the magic little blue pill, is not the “cure all” either. It superficially solves the erectile dysfunction problem but it does nothing to help the man in the long run. It does nothing for the underlying reason behind the ED and sometimes fails to even work. That’s why many men use testosterone therapy alongside Viagra. While using Viagra ensures the erections happen “on cue”, the testosterone works behind the scenes to raise testosterone levels and help solve what many see as the underlying cause of poor sexual drive and performance.
That’s why we’ve been so infuriated on behalf of women over the last few years. Why can’t women have their own little pink pill? The bias is just not fair. There is no “one drug cures all” for male sexual dysfunction so why does there need to be for women? Why can’t women be blessed with FDA approval on multiple drugs? AndroFeme, our Western Australian testosterone cream for women is the only treatment of its kind out there. It’s a testosterone treatment that aims to get to the bottom of women’s sexual dysfunction by increasing low testosterone levels, just as testosterone therapy does for men. The FDA are not interested in approving any testosterone for women products right now but the TGA in Australia feels very differently. While testosterone therapy for women is not a little pink pill, it is a form of hormone therapy that is proven to work, especially when using testosterone therapy post-menopause.
Times are changing though so there is hope. The little pink pill could be on its way sooner rather than later. Flibanserin has been rejected by the FDA two times already but the fight has continued and it looks like it’s about to pay off. While Flibanserin is not strictly a female Viagra is claims to help improve levels of libido in women. Viagra works physically to increase blood flow to the genitals. Flibanserin works with the brain receptors associated with libido to help increase sexual desire and arousal. The concept is the same as that of SSRI anti-depressants. To be effective it needs to be taken daily and will be targeted mainly to women who have little or no libido due to trauma, serious illness and social/relationship issues. It’s not a quick fix like Viagra and will likely not help all women achieve higher libidos and better orgasms but it’s a start.
The FDA recently reviewed the little pink pill Flibanserin again and received a majority vote of 18-6 which is huge and significant development for women’s right and female sexual equality. Apart from some recommendations on label warnings and healthcare education on the pill it looks like it will be approved. The deadline is in August. If it’s approved in August it could be in the pharmacy as early as the new year.
