Viagra-Like Drug for Women

Discussion in 'Science & Society' started by Avatar, Jan 1, 2008.

  1. Avatar smoking revolver Valued Senior Member

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    http://physorg.com/news118390180.html

    Okay, something I don't get. Why is lack of sexual interest considered a disorder?
    If I have lack of interest in swimming or drinking alcohol, is it's a disorder too?

    Please enlighten me.
     
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  3. visceral_instinct Monkey see, monkey denigrate Valued Senior Member

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    'testosterone-laden'??? I know women do have some testosterone, but wouldn't deliberately taking it just result in them developing male characteristics?
     
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  5. Communist Hamster Cricetulus griseus leninus Valued Senior Member

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    Well, if you wanted a higher sex drive, then not having one would be a disorder to you.
     
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  7. francois Schwat? Registered Senior Member

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    Lack of sexual interest, in itself, isn't a disorder. Some people are naturally asexual and there's nothing wrong with them. However, for the majority of us, sex is a big deal and it's an important part of our lives. Although not true for everyone, lack of sexual interest might be an indicator of something wrong with the body. For many people, sex is vital, and a lack of sex might actually hurt them.
     
  8. madanthonywayne Morning in America Registered Senior Member

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    Well, the woman must have at least an intellectual interest in sex, or else why take the drug?

    Now if they had an aftershave a man could wear that would have that effect on females (like in all the aftershave commercials), then we'd have something.

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  9. Avatar smoking revolver Valued Senior Member

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    How?
     
  10. Fraggle Rocker Staff Member

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    Viagra (and similar drugs) do not increase libido. That's a common misconception. Libido in men ("horniness" or "desire for sex") does not correlate completely with erection or with the ability to have an erection, and the correlation decreases with age. It is quite possible to be horny and have an incomplete erection or none at all due to nervousness or certain medications--antihistamines, other vasoconstrictors and blood-pressure modifiers have that secondary effect because it's their primary effect on other body parts. And as any teenage boy knows it's also quite possible to have an erection while your mind is elsewhere. Erectile dysfunction is a common symptom of aging in men and is not a sign of decreased libido.

    Another common misconception is that these drugs cause an erection. All they do is make it possible to have one in circumstances when it is expected. The physiological response is still required. The TV ads warning of four-hour or 24-hour erections needing medical attention probably refer to one bizarre case in hundreds of thousands, and they simply provide a placebo effect to complement the medicine.

    Women have analogous symptoms as they grow older. The typical one is reduction of flow of lubricating fluid to the vagina (sorry I don't know the medical term), making intercourse uncomfortable or even painful, often for both parties. This can be treated with hormone supplements or topical ointment.
    This rhetoric is the result of the misconception noted above. The physical symptoms can be considered disorders but to call a change in outlook on life a disorder is more a matter of culture and politics than proper medical science, if you ask me. Homosexuality was once thought of as a "disorder"--and still is by cavemen.

    However, another effect of aging is indeed a decrease in libido. Anecdotally this is more common among women than men, but who knows if this evidence is reliable. Anecdotally, we are told that many older women with no interest in sex have husbands who are still interested. In some cultures the men simply go out and find younger women who for various reasons including money are willing to have sex with older, married men. In our culture this is frowned upon (although widely practiced) so it becomes a problem in the marriage. (Duh, as if the other way doesn't?)
    But loss of libido is also a common symptom of surgical removal of the ovaries, because the ovaries produce testosterone and testosterone is a key hormone in both male and female libido. I know several women who had ovariohysterectomies after contracting endometriosis several times and the final instance brought them close to death. They all reported a complete absence of libido, which they found unacceptable. Coupled with the other effects of the hormone imbalance such as dryness in the vagina and loss of flexibility in the muscles, it made intercourse impossible even as a gesture of generosity with the help of copious amounts of alcohol.

    It turns out that the desire to have sex is not entirely physiological. People want the intimacy with their partners.

    Medication for this condition has been on the market for years. It's simply a hormone supplement combining a bit of testosterone with the obviously needed estrogen. I've lost touch with one of these three women but the other two happily report that this course of treatment works absolutely perfectly.

    The OP doesn't state whether these women with this "disorder" are ovariohysterectomy patients or have some other medical reason for a loss of libido. In this case it could be called a disorder. Otherwise I suppose whether it's a disorder is a matter of whether the patient is complaining about it. If testosterone cures it, then there was a testosterone imbalance to start with so replacing the missing hormone is not going to result in a moustache and a sudden interest in watching cars drive rapidly in circles. If the dropoff in libido was not caused by a testosterone imbalance, I wonder whether simply increasing the testosterone level is going to "cure" it. If a woman rationally decides that she wants to have sex, but her body is not cooperating and there's nothing wrong with it, my suggestion would be to try a psychological approach.

    But then, I'm not a doctor. I don't even play one on TV.

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  11. Looney Whaaaaat? Registered Senior Member

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    yeah really, I'd rather have a low sex drive than a beard.
     
  12. Avatar smoking revolver Valued Senior Member

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    You can shave it.

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  13. francois Schwat? Registered Senior Member

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    Maybe "hurt" is the wrong word. But there are numerous positives effects associated with sex. By "hurt" I mean, you miss out on all of these.
     
  14. Fraggle Rocker Staff Member

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    There's sure a dumbfounding attitude about sex and hairiness in both men and women. Apparently the majority of American men say they'd rather be impotent than bald!
     
  15. visceral_instinct Monkey see, monkey denigrate Valued Senior Member

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    Thanks for the explanation, Fraggle Rocker.
     
  16. kmguru Staff Member

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    Excellent post and explanation by FR..
     
  17. Asguard Kiss my dark side Valued Senior Member

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    FR did you know that an erection after truma can be a sign of nerve damage so it is DEFINITLY possable to have an errection with no sexual relationship

    secondly the increased labido caused by viagra is actually a placibo ie. i have an errection and im getting girls atention therfore i feel more in the mood.

    there is no real oviouse correlation for women so the placibo doesnt work. However i dont know of any drugs for men or women at the moment that directly increase sexual desire. That is unless you count the increased desire experianced by people on anti depressants who have decreased desire as a result of depression. There are some herbal treatments that are sold but i havent herd of any efficasy trials on them and I am also unaware of any control trials on any food afrodisiacs or hypnotheripy.
     
  18. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    Lack of sexual activity sometimes is only because peoples partners don't know how to stimulate them or don't want to stimulate them for various reasons. Another reason is that as people age the desire drops for sex for the primary purpose for sex was to have children and pleasure was secondary to many.
     

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