Female viagra is now a ‘thing’. The US Food and Drug Administration has given the green light to the drug flibanserin, trading commercially as a daily pink pill under the name Addyi. It claims to be the answer to low sexual desire in women. So if you’re a Daria in the sack, hits of this can get your libido turnt.
Before you ring up your GP, however, the FDA warns that taking the drug can potentially lead to dangerous low blood pressure and fainting side effects, especially when taken with alcohol. How exactly does it work? Unlike viagra for men, which turns the hose on by allowing blood flow to the penis, flibanserin triggers the brain, increasing neurotransmitters that stimulate desire and blocking ones that decrease it.
“This is the biggest breakthrough in women's sexual health since the advent of ‘the Pill’” The National Consumers League said in a statement. “It validates (and) legitimizes female sexuality as an important component of health.”
Some are taking issue with how flibanserin is already being labelled “female viagra”. Addyi is a daily pill that triggers the brain, unlike Viagra that pumps blood. It’s also worth mentioning that there are currently zero drugs on the market to mentally stimulate sexual desire in men.
Others are weighing in on how Addyi affects the brain, questioning whether or not taking the pill will cloud judgement. Buzzfeed is reporting that it is essentially an anti-depressant with increased libido as a side effect. They also argue that it has been approved as a result of “quasi-feminist marketing”. The National Women's Health Network (NWHN) rebuked the FDA’s approval of the drug, saying it was “influenced by an unprecedented and coercive sponsor-initiated marketing and public relations campaign”. While it feels like a win for female sexuality, we’ll have to wait and see once the pink pill hits shelves on October 17.
