Regulatory approval was given by the United States' Food and Drug Administration on August 18, Tuesday to the first prescription drug to boost a woman's sex drive. It is often referred to as "female Viagra," and is the first medication to boost a person's sex drive. The authorization was due in part to a public campaign that accused the FDA of gender bias for not addressing women's sexual needs.
Sprout Pharmaceuticals produces the drug Addyi (Flibanserin). It technically is the first drug to treat a person who has low or no libido.
Medications such as Viagra were not FDA-approved to increase sexual desire. Their function is to treat erectile dysfunction or increase the hormone testosterone.
Many Addyi advocates are members of the online coalition known as Even the Score, according to The New York Times. They argued that such a drug's getting an FDA thumbs up was long overdue.
Sally Greenberg is the National Consumers League's executive director. She said that it was the biggest innovation for adult females' sexual health since the birth control pill.
However, critics argued that the public campaign had insulted the government's official system for regulating prescription drugs. It allegedly used the women's movement to push the FDA into approving a slightly effective drug that could cause side-effects such as sleepiness, dizziness, nausea, and fainting.
Other critics have even questioned the need for any libido pill. They have argued that it is emblematic of society's modern message that desiring and being desired will result in happiness, according to The Guardian.
However, senior FDA official Janet Woodcock said that her agency was committed to supporting female sexual dysfunction. That is by creating treatments that are safe and effective.
The FDA's decision on the Addyi pills was not a big surprise. In June an advisory committee voted 18 to 6 that the agency ought to approve the drug. However, it recommended that steps be taken to minimize its risks and prevent overdosing.
This video discusses low libido in women: