A controversial pill nicknamed the 'female Viagra' has been approved by regulators in the US. Addyi will be the first drug on the market designed to boost women's libido, or Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder, to give it its clinical term.
Addyi started out as a failed anti-depressant. It claims to work by changing the production of neurotransmitters in the brain like serotonin and dopamine. It'll be prescribed by doctors in the US for women who's lack of sex drive is causing them distress. Its manufacturers say taken every day, it should boost a woman's libido.
Doctor Lauren Streicher says it could be a major breakthrough:
But there are some fairly big reasons why American women would not want to take Addyi. There's a warning of serious side effects such as low blood pressure, fainting and fatigue. Crucially, it should not be taken by women who drink alcohol.
Some sex therapists and psychologists have also raised doubts about its effectiveness. Its success will be hard to measure because what is a 'normal sex drive' anyway, and what is considered a 'satisfactory' sexual experience'?
Cindy Pearson from the US National Women's Health Network says only 10% to 12% of women who take it will get any benefit:
The race by pharmaceuticals to bring a drug like this to the market has been run for years. Addyi had previously been rejected by America's Food and Drug Administration because it appeared to only make a marginal difference to women who had low sexual desire. Ten years ago, Proctor and Gamble also failed to get approval for a testosterone patch for women. Addyi is only cleared for use in the US.
