In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just authorized a new treatment to improve female sexual desire, called Vyleesi. Until then, only another drug of this kind existed.
If everyone has already heard of Viagra, the “magic blue pill” that treats erectile dysfunction in men, few people are aware of the drugs capable of helping women’s libido disorders, which we are talking about elsewhere. very little. However, according to various studies between 10 and 50% of adult women will one day encounter sexual difficulties related to desire. If in Europe, they would be only 6 to 13% to suffer from it, in the United States, the figures would be higher: 12 to 19%.
But the American health authorities want to change the situation since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just authorized the marketing of a new treatment to improve female sexual desire. This medicine, called Vyleesihowever, should not be used by women with heart problems or high blood pressure, warns the FDA.
Marketed by AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Vyleesi is injected via a pen into the waist or abdomen 45 minutes before having sexual intercourse. “We are of course delighted to be able to offer other options to patients”, explains Julie Krop, of AMAG, quoted by the New York Times, without giving details on the financial aspect of the treatment. “These women have suffered greatly, often in silence, from a stigmatized condition and many of them are unaware that this medical condition is treatable.”
The FDA has been under pressure for years to authorize more drugs for women with low libido, a condition known as hypoactive sex disorder, of which, according to AMAG, six million American women pre- menopausal would suffer.
Nausea as a side effect
Until then, only one treatment existed, also authorized in France: Addyi. This treatment is however quite restrictive since, unlike Vyleesi, it must be taken every day for several months before feeling the effects. Indeed, unlike male Viagra, Addyi aims to stimulate the chemistry of female desire rather than the mechanics of pleasure. Thus its pharmacological action is played out by reducing the level of serotonin – a neuro-transmitter involved in the regulation of anxiety and mood – in the brain.
But the Addyi is very little used. Indeed, in addition to the difficulties of doctors to determine under what conditions to prescribe it, this drug cannot be mixed with alcohol under risk of fainting.
If this is not the case with Vyleesi, which can also be administered at any time, this new drug is not perfect either. Thus, during clinical trials, 40% of participants suffered from nausea after taking it. And, 18% of women who dropped out of the study left because of nausea. In addition, approximately 1% of patients reported darkening of the gums and parts of the skin that persisted after treatment was completed. We should also remember the recommendations of the FDA for women suffering from high blood pressure and cardiovascular risks.
A disorder much more complicated to treat in women than in men
Finally, while participants reported increased desire and decreased distress regarding sex, this did not significantly increase the number of “satisfying sexual events”. Women who suffer from a low libido do not make love less than others, notes Dr. Krop. But they take less pleasure in it. “There are often times when they force themselves because they want to preserve their relationship. The problem is that they are unhappy with their sexual relations,” she explains.
Because in women, the functioning of desire is infinitely more complex than in men. “Desire is a delicate construction that is permanently established between inhibitory and facilitating mechanisms, and these mechanisms are infinitely more complex in women than in men”, explained Marie-Hélène Colson, director of sexology teaching at the Faculty of Medicine of Marseilles in article by Sciences and Life devoted to the Addyi. While in men, the hormone testosterone has a huge impact on desire, in women multiple hormones and neurotransmitters control it, including oxytocin, the hormone of affection and attachment.
“No matter how good my psychotherapy is, how good the romantic relationship is, how much value they place on healthy sexuality, there are a lot of issues that I can’t deal with because there are underlying biological concerns. underlyings”, adds as for it near CNN Dr. Nicole Cirino, co-director of the Menopause and Sex Therapy Clinic at the Oregon Health and Science Center for Women’s Health.
Thus, for her, Vyleesi will not necessarily be a priority treatment for women with low libido. It could, however, be added to other treatments such as psychotherapy and Addyi. And remember that before prescribing this drug, doctors must first ensure that their patient does not have various problems with her spouse or is not under another treatment (antidepressant for example) likely to lead to sexual desire disorders.
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