Although FSAD is technically separate from low libido, the two symptoms often overlap. Side effects It can occur as a side effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants, or it can occur in conjunction with other conditions that impair blood flow or nerve function, such as diabetes or spinal cord injuries.
Women’s difficulty getting aroused is similar to erectile dysfunction in that it has to do with blood flow, says Lauren Stryker, M.D., a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University who has been prescribing sildenafil to women for nearly a decade. Increased blood flow, especially to the clitoris, increases nerve sensitivity and promotes lubrication. Sildenafil dilates blood vessels, allowing blood to flow more easily through them.
In Darré’s study, 174 premenopausal women who completed the study were given either a cream version of sildenafil or a placebo to apply directly to the clitoris and surrounding area. They were asked to report on their sexual arousal, desire levels, recent sexual intercourse, and whether they were distressed about their sexual function. The researchers found that women diagnosed with female sexual arousal disorder (65 in total, half of whom were given the cream) reported increased sexual arousal with the sildenafil cream. However, for women with FSAD who also had other symptoms, such as genital pain or inability to orgasm, the cream did not produce significant changes in sexual arousal or resulting distress. The improvement in the FSAD-only group was not significant because the number of participants was too small, the study authors wrote.
The results are consistent with conclusions from other small studies that sildenafil tablets improved sexual function in women. Arousal disorder And for the women who experience this symptom as a side effect: SSRI drugs or Diabetes.
Not a solution for everyone
Justin Garcia, director of the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, which focuses on sexual research, said the study’s mixed results highlight that for many women who struggle with sexual arousal and desire, blood flow is only part of the problem, or not the cause of the problem at all. Women’s sexual arousal is often a “biopsychosocial response,” he said. Psychologically, “your sense of body image, your sense of stress, the amount of sleep you get” all affect sexual function, as do other factors like vaginal dryness and pelvic floor tension due to menopause.
