JACKSON, Miss.–You’ve been hearing about the little pink pill, what some news media outlets have labeled the “Viagra for women”. Flibanserin is supposed to improve sexual desire for women. But it may not work that well, and it may not live up to the label.
Dr. Mickey Autry is a nurse practitioner and a research scientist in Mississippi, who specializes in female sexuality.
“It is not a female Viagra and that really torques me,” said Autrey, who was a guest on the Linda Allen Show.
She said the drug directly affects receptors in the brain.
“It actually decreases dopamine and norepinephrine and increases serotonin, which is actually supposed to make a woman think more about intercourse and be receptive to it.”
She said studies with the drug with 11,000 women participating ended with only 1.7 percent with increased sexual activity and satisfaction.
Autrey, whose dissertation involved research on menopause, said some women are averted to sex because as they age it becomes more painful because of decreased hormone activity, and that researchers may do better to focus on improvements in that area.
