In my interview with author/doctor/researcher, Dr. Susan Hoppe, I peppered her with questions about Boehringer Ingelheim’s “Viagra” for women, not even realizing that she acts as a central figure in the pill’s development. It was a bonus that I had to take advantage of. So, enjoy reading this expert’s insight on the controversial “pink pill”! (Note: these answers are mostly paraphrased by me, not taken word-for-word from the interview.)
Question #1: Throughout your book, you make it clear that women's sex drives are largely psychological. What do you think about the recently denied "Viagra” pill for women?
Answer: Well first, you should know that the FDA hasn’t denied the pill yet – it is actually still in review. There are a lot of processes involved in approving a drug, so really it was just being tested by an advisory board, designed to counsel the FDA.
One of the main ways the pill was tested was by reading the e-diaries of women in the drug studies. Participants were required to record their sexual thoughts, desires or actions daily. In reviewing these diaries, the advisory board found that on a day-to-day basis, there was no recognizable change in libido for women taking the pill. However, taking a longer term view of the study and examining changes over a 28-day cycle, it was apparent that women who took the pill were experiencing improved sex drives as compared to those taking the placebo. So, while the agency recognized that the pill had some impact, the FDA was looking for a drug that would take effect in a more instantly gratifiable manner. The advising agency will continue to test, looking for the endpoint desired by the FDA, but it should be known that the people who have the final decisions know very little about the science of women’s health. It makes more sense to measure sex drive for women on a monthly scale, rather than the daily due to hormone fluctuations and other cyclical factors.
Question #2: You explained in the book that women’s sex drives are motivated by different things than the male libido, so the “pink pill” must work in a different way, right?
Answer: Yes. Viagra simply increases blood flow to the penis and genital area in men, who are stimulated much more easily and simply than women. As I illustrate in my book, the female libido is like a complicated switchboard – you can’t turn just one knob and hope to see results. Therefore this drug actually works on the brain, activating serotonin receptors, which contribute to feelings of well being and pleasure.
Question #3: But can a single pill really do that much to affect libido if women’s sex drives are so influenced by emotional and mental stimuli? Aren’t there so many other factors that should be examined?
Answer: Absolutely. I don’t think every woman can just take a pill and fix herself. But the trials are being done on a specific group of women – those with hypoactive sexual disorder, as I explain in the book – and I do think this pill can benefit them. Maybe not yet on a daily basis as the FDA would hope, but definitely in some ways.
For the average woman not diagnosed with a specific sexual disorder it is more complicated. But in my job and with this book, I just wanted to show women that they can use knowledge about their bodies to evaluate what is happening in their lives. We can’t all be Sex and the City’s Samantha, but we can learn to be happy with what we have, and work hard to change what doesn’t make us happy.
There you have it! If that isn’t empowerment – what is? Thanks to Hoppe for her fantastic work!