Is “Female Viagra” the answer to sexual dysfunction?

Following the enormous success of Viagra, and the subsequent boost in pharmaceutical profits, companies are eager to find a female alternative.

One such company is Boehringer Ingelheim. The drug firm is currently busy developing Flibanserin – a medication that, according to early trials, can help women affected by female sexual dysfunction.

The company believes there will be a huge demand for Filbanserin if the treatment is approved. Last week they supported this claim by releasing the results of a study of over 60,000 women across Europe showing the emotional distress that a low-libido can cause.

Yet the study has re-sparked an ongoing debate: is medical treatment the best way to approach female sexual dysfunction? For some critics, the answer is that medicine isn’t the only strategy companies need to look at.

“A medication may be the right treatment, but it may not, depending on what is truly the cause of low desire,” said Lisa Martinez, founder of the Women’s Sexual Health Foundation. Agreement came from Petra Boynton, who argued there are: “many issues that may cause low sexual desire -- like pregnancy, menopause, bereavement, divorce, a lack of privacy, or poor body image.”

Indeed it is believed that the exact definition of female sexual dysfunction will be changed when a major US medical journal is revised in 2012. A new definition would take into account more complex issues that could be causing a woman’s lack of desire.

Bohringer will continue to test Filbanserin as the debate continues. Testosterone gels are also being developed by various drug companies. The testosterone patch Intrinsica is already available as an approved libido booster for women.