A recent public campaign has been pressing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve a "female Viagra" pill that restores sex drive. The campaign, which includes medical and women's groups, accuses the FDA of gender bias, due to zero libido enhancer drugs being approved for females.
The advocacy group is known as Even the Score. It is pushing for FDA approval because 25 male Viagra products are already on the market. In an online petition it claims that women have "waited long enough."
Even the Score has collected over 40,000 online signatures. The petition argues that gender equality ought to be standard in terms of public access to treatments for sexual dysfunction.
The FDA has twice rejected flibanserin, the female Viagra pills. It argued that they were only moderately effective, while creating side effects such as dizziness, nausea, and sleeplessness, according to Newsmax.
The first application rejection of the women's Viagra was in 2010. It followed the unanimous opposition by an FDA advisory committee.
FDA advisers will revisit the issue of flibanserin approval on Thursday. Sprout Pharmaceuticals, the drug's owner, has submitted new data showing that the low sex drive pill does not impair automobile driving.
However, the approval of the women's Viagra might be based on a new interpretation of old data. The changing politics of sexual desire drugs for women might also have a big impact.
Various women's and medical groups have supported the approval of flibanserin, by convincing some Congress members to write letters to the FDA. They have even spoofed a Viagra commercial.
An FDA spokeswoman has stated that the agency "strongly rejects" that it is practicing gender bias, according to Times of India. In 2012 the FDA held a two-day workshop on female sexual dysfunction.
Also, some women's groups oppose the public campaign by Even the Score. They argue that it is using the issue of women's rights to gain support of the female Viagra.
For instance, flibanserin is a sexual medicine designed to treat low desire. However, while most of the impotence drugs for men are formulations of the testosterone hormone, none are FDA-approved for low sex drive.