The Little Blue Orgasm Pill?

OK, I confess.  When the popular press starting running headlines about Viagra’s possible benefits for women earlier this week, my first reaction was that of a skeptic – I smirkingly thought, "well, this seems like a great new way to market an already immensely popular drug."  Then I read my co-blogger’s very different take :

A great article came out in JAMA this week: Sildenafil Treatment of Women with Antidepressant-Associated Sexual Dysfunction by a group in New Mexico (with 3/6 female authors!). Although it is not the magic solution that men have, it seems that Viagra (Sildenafil) is successful in increasing orgasms in women on anti-depressants. That is no small feat. Anti-depressants are notorious for decreasing libido and orgasmic potential. These reasons are, in fact, a major cause of medication non-compliance. The inability to have pleasing sex is deleterious to [a relationship] in which one partner is already battling with depression… (emphasis mine)

Wow.  It is a real relief that we are finally taking women’s sexuality seriously enough to acknowledge that decreased libido is a real problem for women as well as men, I thought.  While debate still rages about the the merits of the study, perhaps the simple fact that our society is beginning to acknowledge women as having legitimate sexual needs is in itself some cause for celebration.