Viagra for Women

Viagra’s revolutionary influence on lifestyle is just as strong as ever. A medication for erectile dysfunction in men, but half the population is missing out. Can women use Viagra? While the drug is nothing short of revolutionary for men, it remains unsuitable for women. Extensive research concludes it is unclear if the medication is safe for women to use, due to the long-term effects and side effects it has on the female body.

One study carried out by UCLA showed that women taking Viagra did enhance their sexual experience because it provided better blood flow to the female genitelia. However, further studies have subsequently failed to support this theory. This area of research still needs more exploration, to discover the safety and long term side effects of Viagra in women.

Female Viagra

Prelox
Medications sold as ‘Female Viagra’ are usually herbal supplements for which there is no evidence to support that they enhance the female sex drive. Prelox, sold legitimately by UK food stores and pharmacies, is a contender for the title of ‘female Viagra’ but there is also a lack of practical clinical evidence surrounding the efficacy of this drug.

Flibanserin/Addyi
Another pill that has borrowed the tag-line of ‘Female Viagra’ is Flibanserin or Addyi, useless for its original purpose as an antidepressant. Unlike real Viagra, which increases the blood flow to the penis in men, this controversial medication manufactured by Sprout Pharmaceuticals boosts ‘feel good’ chemicals serotonin and dopamine in the brain to increase sexual desire. Recently FDA-approved, it is not the holy-grail of libido revitalisation it may appear to be. In fact, its modest effect is not worth the severity of the side effects including fainting, vomiting, dizziness and low blood pressure that come as a package deal. Also, Viagra works in just an hour while Addyi takes months of regular treatment before showing minimal results.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejected the drug twice before feminist campaign groups such as Even the Score strong-armed and shamed them into approving it the third time around. Despite the medication being ‘marginally’ libido boosting, the market has greeted the newcomer with lukewarm applause. Sales have been rather anticlimactic and Addyi is not widely available in the UK. There is a high possibility that if you come across a website selling Addyi it may be illegal. Buying illicit drugs online can be extremely dangerous and you should always be cautious when buying online. You should only order medication online if they are GPhC and MHRA approved.

The Addyi drug may be close to useless as both an antidepressant and a sexual desire booster, but one thing can be said for it: it has furthered the race to female equality - marginally.

Viagra as a fertility treatment?

Trials studying the effect of Viagra on women for period pains and fertility are ongoing and researchers from Sher Institute of Reproductive Medicine in Nevada are investigating whether this is possible. It is common for infertility in women to be linked with the uterus lining being too thing for the eggs to implant and the use of Viagra would hopefully be useful in thickening this lining. However, the research is still in its early days and it may take a few years before we see the results of these clinical studies.

Viagra to treat menstrual cramps?

Researchers at the Penn State College of Medicine have looked into whether the active ingredient in Viagra, sildenafil citrate can be used to alleviate primary dysmenorrhea (PD), a common cause of pelvic pain in women before or during menstruation. Their study of 25 women showed that Viagra helped to alleviate acute menstrual cramps by increasing the blood flow and showed no side effects. However, the placebo and the sildenafil citrate increased blood flow, so the actual cause of pain relief is still unknown.