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Viagra
May Improve
Female Sexual Function
LONDON
(Reuters Health) - Contrary to previous findings, the male impotence
drug Viagra may improve the sex lives of women with arousal problems,
Italian sexologists reported on Sunday.
Professor
Salvatore Caruso and colleagues at the University of Catania carried
out a study to test the hypothesis that Viagra (sildenafil, made
by Pfizer) would improve sexual enjoyment in 51 women with arousal
disorders. The women, aged 22 to 38, were having sex with a male
partner at least once a week but had requested a clinical consultation
for lack of clitoral sensation, lack of vaginal lubrication or
for being ``slow to respond.''
The researchers
reasoned that sildenafil might help the women achieve clitoral
erection, a key component of female sexual arousal. The study
included three 4-week periods in which a woman took either a 25
milligram (mg) or 50 mg dose of Viagra or an inactive placebo,
went without medication for 4 weeks, and then switched to another
therapy. The study is published in the June issue of the British
Journal of Obstetrics andGynaecology.
Women completed
a questionnaire each month to quantify arousal, orgasm, enjoyment
and sexual fantasies on a five-point scale. Arousal increased
from 1.5 at the beginning of the study to 4.2 on both drug doses
compared with 2.6 on placebo.
Orgasm increased
from 1 to 3.9 on the 50 mg dose, 3.7 on the 25 mg dose, and 2.4
on placebo. Corresponding measures of enjoyment rose from 1.9
to 3.9, 3.5 and 2.3, intercourse frequency from 1.5 to 3, 2.4
and 1.8, and frequency of sexual fantasies from 0.5 to 3.2, 2.8
and 1.6, respectively.
``Our results
demonstrate that sildenafil may directly improve female arousal
disorder and thus other sexual qualitative functions such as enjoyment
and orgasm, and it may have an indirect therapeutic role in quantitative
aspects of sexual functioning such as the frequency of sexual
fantasies and thoughts, and the frequency of sexual intercourse,''
the researchers report.
The results
provided evidence that ``sildenafil affects women in a way similar
to that found in men with erectile dysfunction.'' These findings
conflict with those of a study of 577 women presented last year
at the annual meeting of the American College of Obstetricians
and Gynecologists, which found that placebo was more effective
than Viagra.
Pfizer said
it is still assessing whether the drug could be developed for
use by women.
SOURCE:
British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 2001;108.
Reference
Source 89
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