Female Viagra debate rages

Flibanserin is proving to be a hot topic in the press. The drug was originally developed as an anti-depressant, but turned out to be an effective libido booster for women. Now it is at the centre of a heated debate about whether female sexual dysfunction really exists.

Cynics say that female sexual dysfunction is a term made up by drug companies in order to sell more medicines. They argue that there is no way a pill can help women to overcome the psychological problems that often result in a low sex drive.

These problems include depression, stress at work or relationship problems. Among this camp of cynics is the filmmaker Liz Canning. Canning made a film called Orgasm Inc to uncover the truth behind what she suspects to be a ‘made up disease.’

Double standards?

On the other side of the debate, some experts have leapt to the defence of the FSD label. In the Washington Post last week, the journalist Katrina Vanden Heuvel exclaimed: “let’s get one thing straight... the discovery of pink Viagra is not disease mongering.”

Heuvel went on to argue that criticism of Flibanserin is a case of double standards. When Viagra was first released, she correctly points out, there was great fanfare and the drug was celebrated as a valuable to tool for older men around the world. Conversely, Flibanserin is being treated with suspicion. Heuvel argues that we are aware that many women suffer from low libido, so why, if an effective treatment can help some of these women, would we reject it?

The general consensus among health experts seems to be that female sexual dysfunction is a valid and real condition. However they concede that unlike male sexual dysfunction – which can be identified by the lack of ability to achieve erection – FSD is not easily measured. It is a complicated condition that can be caused by a variety of factors.