There is no denying that men often find life’s little pleasures more appealing than women do. From food to drink to inking and painting, men have engaged in’manly’ activities for much longer. The modern-day equivalent of the ‘Blue Boy’ is the Viagra pill. Launched in 1998 as a treatment for erectile dysfunction, it changed the lives of millions of men. But has Viagra also changed the game for women? We take a look at the drug’s key clinical trials and what the future of female medication looks like.
Clinical Trials And Product Launch
In the years since Viagra hit pharmacy shelves, researchers have delved into the effects the drug has on women as well. What they’ve found may surprise you. While Viagra does help men with erectile dysfunction, it also improves women’s sexual function and satisfaction. According to data from leading clinical trials, the drug can increase female desire, increase the quality of female orgasms, and even make sex feel more like a traditional ‘manly’ activity. So what is behind this contradiction? Let’s delve into the details of Viagra’s clinical trials.
How Does Viagra Work?
Pfizer, the pharmaceutical company that produces Viagra, released impressive sales figures for the drug in 2016. According to the company, Viagra was the best-selling drug in the company’s portfolio that year, with peak sales of over 43 million prescriptions. The statistics back this up. Viagra does work, and it works well for men and women alike. And it works quickly too. In a 2016 analysis of the drug, health information company Medi-Lexi noted that Viagra was “the fastest-selling new drug in the history of the Lexi Pharma database,” with over a million prescriptions written in under a month. While it is impossible to know for sure, it is likely that many of these prescriptions were written by women who were either dealing with, or had experienced, sexual dysfunction. In today’s world, where open relationships are becoming the norm, the stigma that comes with sexual dysfunction is being gradually dissolved.
What Does The Future Of Viagra Treatment Look Like?
In one of Viagra’s pivotal trials, scientists from Germany’s University of Cologne investigated the effects of the drug on women with sexual dysfunction. They designed the trial to look like an ‘old-school’ study. They wanted to see if Viagra could bring about an improvement in sexual function and satisfaction in women who experienced various levels of dysfunction. At the end of the six-month trial, scientists found that Viagra was highly effective in treating sexual dysfunction in women, regardless of whether or not they had mild, medium, or severe problems. What is more, drug proved to be as effective in women as it is in men and it was well-tolerated by the female participants. In March of this year, the German researchers published the results of their study in the medical journal European Urology. The study’s findings were then published in full in a recent issue of the British Medical Journal (1).
These are some tantalizing results, to be sure. While it is great to see effective drug treatments for erectile dysfunction, the development of Viagra for women has opened up an entirely new world of therapeutic possibilities. And not just for women. The German research team also tested the drug’s effects on men. What they found was that Viagra significantly improved the sex lives of the participants, regardless of whether or not they had sexual dysfunction. This makes Viagra not just effective for men and women but also, potentially, for other members of the same sex. Could this be the end of the ‘boy’s club’ when it comes to sexual relationships? Let’s dive into the details of the German study.
The Potential Effect On Intersex Relationships
Another trial that examined the effects of Viagra in women focused on the drug’s effects on intersex relationships. In this trial, German scientists gave the drug to women with a uterus, but who had been assigned male gonadal sex at birth. As a result of the drug, the participants’ self-reported sexual activity and subjective measures of sexual function and satisfaction increased significantly. What is more, the scientists involved in the trial felt that the drug was well-tolerated by the participants and that it did not cause any ‘unintended’ sexual effects. In other words, the drug did not increase the participants’ desire for sex or their level of arousal during intercourse. These are all encouraging findings, as they provide evidence that Viagra may be a viable treatment option for women with intersex disorders. There is no question that intersex disorders are a nightmare. They often result in complications during pregnancy, unsafe abortions, and poor physical and mental health outcomes. For many people with intersex disorders, their bodies do not match the gender they were assigned at birth. This can cause a great deal of psychological stress and discomfort. Some intersex disorders are also associated with low sexual function and decreased sexual satisfaction. The findings from the German trial provide hope that things can and often do work out for the better. While there is still a long way to go before we can say that Viagra is a definite ‘game-changer’ when it comes to the treatment of intersex disorders, the findings from this trial are nothing short of extraordinary.
How Is Viagra Regarded By The FDA?
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must approve any new drug application for marketing. Once a drug is approved, it can be prescribed and sold over-the-counter (OTC) without a prescription. The FDA has approved Viagra for marketing in the U.S., but only under certain restrictions. The agency decided that Viagra was ‘safe and effective’ for use in men with erectile dysfunction. It also approved the drug for use in treating pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). While this is great news in theory, in practice, there are some issues that the FDA needs to be mindful of. First off, Viagra is a SGLT2 inhibitor. These are a type of drug that increases the reabsorption of glucose into the bodies of people with type 2 diabetes. People with diabetes often experience erectile dysfunction, so the drug could potentially be used in tandem with other treatments for the condition. Second, the drug is contraindicated in people with renal impairment. Finally, the FDA asks that physicians and patients alike remain vigilant concerning the potential for interactions and adverse effects (3). While no drug is without any side effects, the safety of Viagra is relatively unknown in people with various forms of renal impairment, as well as in people who take other medications. There is also some evidence that the drug can interact with certain antibiotics and certain herbal products, leading to dangerous effects. These are all valid points, and the FDA must proceed with caution when it comes to the use of Viagra.
Where Do The Latest Research Points?
The tide appears to be turning in favor of women and their sexual wellbeing. While Viagra does work well for millions of men, the benefits of the drug appear to have been largely overlooked in regards to women. In the last few years, clinical trials have examined the effects of the drug in women, with some amazing results. In 2016, the FDA approved Viagra for use in treating female erectile dysfunction. Since then, various studies have demonstrated that the drug is both effective and safe for women with sexual dysfunction. While we wait for the FDA to approve more drugs for women, it is heartening to see scientific research point toward new hope for women with regard to their sexual health.