A couple of months ago we told you about the conversation and buzz surrounding the “little pink pill” which was being evaluated by the FDA as the first drug to target women’s libido.
Yesterday Sprout Pharmaceutical released an announcement that the “little pink pill” had been approved by the FDA and would be made available under the name Addyi as the first drug to target hypoactive sexual desire disorder (low libido) in premenopausal women.
HSDD, is defined as the persistent absence of sexual thoughts, fantasies, responsiveness, and willingness to engage in sexual activity that causes personal and relationship distress in the absence of other medical conditions. It affects 1 in 10 women in the United States and the approval of Addyi as a treatment for this condition brings much needed attention to a problem that is not often discussed: female sexuality and what women truly want.
For women suffering with HSDD, the option are few if any. Most women deal with it and try to accommodate the disease in order to function. With the advent of Addyi both women and their provider can now have a different dialogue. In clinical trial Addyi was found to increase the number of satisfying sexual events, improve the desire for sex and decrease the distress for loss of sexual desire. The most common side effects reported included dizziness, somnolence, nausea, fatigue, insomnia and dry mouth. Hypotension and syncope were seen rarely with Addyi alone but more frequently when Addyi was taken in the morning and when co-administered with alcohol or certain other drugs.
As I said in my last post Addyi is not for women whose libido is suffereing due to depression, social and environmental stress or chronic medical illness. Addy is for women who have been evaluated and found to have HSDD. It is important for women to discuss changes in their sexual satisfaction and desire with their provider and if you are not comfortable discussing it with your provider then ask for a referral for a sex psychologist who can help you sort what may or may not be going on. Contrary to what society would like us to believe, most women want an active and fulfilling sex life and it is up to us to find the means satisfy this need.
Please email us at dddidi@healthymommyhappybaby with any questions about Addyi or any related topic.