Here's a study that may just prove it really is "all in the mind." A new paper released recently in the Journal of Sexual Medicine shows that a placebo drug has increased sex drive for women suffering from sexual dysfunction. A small group of 200 women who had been diagnosed with female sexual arousal disorder participated in a study where they were given Cialis, a drug that is actually given to treat male erectile dysfunction. Fifty of the women were given a placebo. The women were all premenopausal and had no previous medical conditions that could have contributed to their lack of sexual desire.
Results concluded that one of three women had been restored in their sexual desire as a result of their placebo. Cialis seemed to have no improvement on sexual dysfunction for women.
It seems like there is still much to uncover about female sexual dysfunction - studies have questioned the term, have argued the causes, have disputed over solutions. This study seems to drive home something that many studies seem to agree upon - a part of this disorder is often psychological. Women who participated in the study were required to engage in regular sexual activities and to keep a diary of their experiences. They then filled out a questionnaire that asked about how satisfying their sex was, and whether or not they had an orgasm.
If more women committed this kind of time and space to sex, would their sexual satisfaction improve with or without some sort of pill? The answer appears to be: maybe.
The study raises an important question - will we ever find the equivalent of Viagra for women? Will there be a magic "pink pill" that restores sexual satisfaction into the lives of women? Or will it require something more than that - a change in culture, a change in healing, a revision of "dysfunction"?
Female sexuality is complicated and everything from stress to a lack of sleep to the quality of your relationship can affect how you're feeling in the bedroom. Dedicating time to explore what's behind the lack of sexual satisfaction may be one of many steps to providing all females with the satisfaction we all deserve!