Men have their Viagra and Cialis pills for their sexual arousal difficulties. But, women are stil awaiting a similar drug to help them with their own lack of libido.
According to WebMd, critics of the Food and Drug Agency say the FDA has a gender bias when it comes to treating sexual problems. But, the agency says it carefully weighs the risks and benefits of all drugs it approves. Some experts say female sexual dysfunction is more complex, making it harder to treat.
The FDA has scheduled a meeting on Oct. 27-28 which will include statements from patients about the impact that female sexual dysfunction has had on their lives. It will also include a scientific workshop to discuss how to diagnose the disorder and measure how well medications for it work.
The charge that the FDA holds drugs to treat women's sexual problems to a higher standard than those for erectile dysfunction has divided women's and health organizations, says WebMd.
"Even the Score" is a campaign launched in June that's backed by the drug companies of at least three potential treatments for female sexual dysfunction. A petition to the FDA posted by Even the Score on change.org had more than 16,000 signatures as of Oct. 17. "We urge you to work fairly and urgently toward a solution to an unmet medical need..." the petition states.
Meanwhile, the National Women's Health Network and the American Medical Women's Association, among others, have supported the FDA's decisions not to approve a drug for female sexual dysfunction, reports WebMd.
Cindy Pearson, executive director of the National Women's Health Network, says while the FDA has not been immune to gender bias, that's not at play here. "If it were gender bias, we would be yelling and screaming," Pearson says. "The problem is the drugs. Our biology is so much more complicated than men's."
Female sexual response includes not only libido, or desire, but arousal and orgasm, or satisfaction.
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