Flibanserin: The first drug approved for "female sexual arousal disorder" -

[KatsuKitty]

Today, flibanserin has been the first drug approved to treat the purported condition of female sexual loss of interest.

What's your take on this? To me, it's a rather curious approval. I'm already skeptical of the idea of "female sexual arousal disorder", a genuine disorder listed in the DSM-V, for multiple reasons:

• I've seen almost as many patterns of male loss of libido just as much as female.
• Homosexuality was removed from the DSM in 1973 on the pretense that it caused no naturally negative mental or physical impact on an individual's functioning; where's the negative mental or physical impact for someone disinterested in sex?
• In people who weren't borderline-asexual their entire life, it's almost always due to a trauma suffered that I don't believe a mere pill can fix.

To me, it seems like we're witnessing a transient historical curiosity that will eventually fall away with psychological reclassification, a drug approval we'll look back on as part of a humourous retrospective of an era that didn't truly understand sexuality or women. Your thoughts?

 

[HG 400]

Regular viagra already works, and so do hormone adjustments, and so do saucy winks from Dynastia.

 

[DNJACK]

where's the negative mental or physical impact for someone disinterested in sex?

The unsatisfied husband beats her.

 

[autisticdragonkin]

To me, it seems like we're witnessing a transient historical curiosity that will eventually fall away with psychological reclassification, a drug approval we'll look back on as part of a humourous retrospective of an era that didn't truly understand sexuality or women. Your thoughts?

We will better understand sex in the future and everyone will be happier with their sex lives due to science

 

[☻]

I don't see the controversy. If someone feels she should use it, then she should.

 

[HG 400]

I don't see the controversy. If someone feels she should use it, then she should.

Katsu is grossed out by female sexuality and would prefer a drug that suppresses the female libido and is made mandatory.

 

[AnOminous]

Homosexuality was removed from the DSM in 1973 on the pretense that it caused no naturally negative mental or physical impact on an individual's functioning; where's the negative mental or physical impact for someone disinterested in sex?

Why would someone seek out medical attention for something that didn't cause them some kind of distress?

I assume prescriptions will generally be for people who previously had a sex drive, but where some problem, physical or otherwise, has diminished it. People who don't want to have sex and are fine with this aren't going to bother.

 

[DuskEngine]

where's the negative mental or physical impact for someone disinterested in sex?

Why would someone seek out medical attention for something that didn't cause them some kind of distress?

I imagine there are quite a few people who lack a sex drive overall and feel that this negatively impacts their life; either because they're 'missing out' or because they are still romantically interested and their partner has trouble with their low sex drive.

People who don't care will continue to not care, although I am sure some 'asexual' tumblrite will talk about how this contributes to ace erasure.

it's almost always due to a trauma suffered that I don't believe a mere pill can fix.

But the pill can help. As with a lot of psychological conditions, I imagine combining pharmaceutical and therapeutic methods would be more effective than either of these alone.

 

[AnOminous]

But the pill can help. As with a lot of psychological conditions, I imagine combining pharmaceutical and therapeutic methods would be more effective than either of these alone.

I'd imagine it's sometimes physiological, too. While it's not as glaringly obvious as a male erection, female arousal requires blood flow to the region and other physiological responses, like lubrication. Especially with aging, I imagine these become less easy on the body and something to enhance them makes sense.

 

[Le Bateleur]

This is a fantastic example of disease creep. This drug exists because the manufacturers can sell it, rather than because patients need it.

 

[AnOminous]

This is a fantastic example of disease creep. This drug exists because the manufacturers can sell it, rather than because patients need it.

People want a lot of things they don't, strictly speaking, actually need. Like Viagra itself.

 

[Le Bateleur]

People want a lot of things they don't, strictly speaking, actually need. Like Viagra itself.

Erectile dysfunction was a diagnosis long before Viagra, though - and while I take your point that a lot of people who are prescribed Viagra may not have a clinical need for it, in some cases its a treatment for a genuine disease.

What's happening now is that drug companies are extending the range of indications for their existing products ("pre-diabetes" is a classic example), or coming up with entirely new conditions that they can then treat.

 

[MACH-IV]

It's probably just going to be guys buying it illegally and mixing it into their wife's food hoping to get laid again.

 

[Marvin]

I'm more skeptical that this is a problem that can be so easily solved. Male arousal is solidly tied to physical triggers. That's why penis pills are effective. Female sexuality is much more complicated.

This drug didn't do much better than a placebo and they had trouble getting the FDA to approve it.

 

[Durable Mike Malloy]

I'm more skeptical that this is a problem that can be so easily solved. Male arousal is solidly tied to physical triggers. That's why penis pills are effective. Female sexuality is much more complicated.

This drug didn't do much better than a placebo and they had trouble getting the FDA to approve it.

Moreover, female sexuality is understudied. Like, most gross anatomy curricula don't even have students dissect out the clit. The academic literature is clogged with garbage-tier fMRI studies and shaky self-reports to the point where it's hard to even parse out correlations as promising avenues for further research. And at least in the US, this is not the field that's bringing in the sweet sweet NIH dollars; it's an afterthought, done on NSF or even humanities shoestring budgets.

Call it "disease creep" if you want, but bringing so-called Big Pharma on board is a solid avenue to advance basic research. Whether that's a good or bad thing depends on your broader perspective on how science should be funded, I guess.

 

[Sweet and Savoury]

This drug didn't do much better than a placebo and they had trouble getting the FDA to approve it.

This.

It's barely more effective then a placebo, I would guess that it's as effective with the statistical error, but the money to be made means they will push it through no matter what side effects it may have.

Viagra was a lucky break; they wanted a v-tach type drug but it didnt work worth shit. They were about to kill it when some egghead noticed that no one, as in zero, of the true test population returned the left over pills. They asked why and Blamo! A 6 billion dollar drug was born.

This female Viagra? They've hunted for it for the last 7 years and still haven't got jack. But it will go into production and be shelled out as the next wonder drug no matter the costs to society.

I hate big Pharma...

 

[AnOminous]

This.

It's barely more effective then a placebo, I would guess that it's as effective with the statistical error, but the money to be made means they will push it through no matter what side effects it may have.

Sad.

I guess they needed to sell something to the half of the population that has to deal with the married geezers who buy Viagra but don't have an Ashley Madison account.

 

[Bugaboo]

What happens if a man takes it

 

[Cuddlefish]

• In people who weren't borderline-asexual their entire life, it's almost always due to a trauma suffered that I don't believe a mere pill can fix.

This is true. However in quite a few cases, even with proper therapy and support, physical responses can be one of the last things to return to normal. In sexual abuse survivors, this can lead to painful or impossible sex, and making the victim feel "broken" because one horrible encounter ruined their chance at ever having proper sex even if they otherwise feel completely fine. Ladybits are shitty like that.

Personally, I'm all for this new drug. I think it's about time we got something for unsatisfied women that wasn't made from tiger sperm and dirt.

 

[Tragi-Chan]

I don't know, it sounds to me like Listerine inventing halitosis all over again. That being said, differing levels of interest in sex can put a strain on a relationship. Hence the continued popularity of prostitutes.

I hate big Pharma...

I did until I worked in a hospital, when they'd pay for some very expensive meals in the hope that we'd buy their drugs. My consultant kept heckling during their pitches while I got smashed on free wine. Those were great days. It's a crying shame what the government is doing to the health service.