Monday, July 12, 2010

Answerbox: Can Viagra Help Women Orgasm Faster?

Dear Answerbox-

I'm a woman in my mid-thirties with an orgasm problem.  I can have them, but it takes a really, really long time, even when I'm by myself.  I enjoy sex, and my boyfriend is skilled and generous, but we're both a little frustrated.  I've heard that taking the old "blue pill" [Viagra] might help - is that true?

Sincerely,
Lady in Waiting

Well, we know what happens when you take the little red pill...
The first thing about answering this question is that I AM NOT A DOCTOR, and the information I'm about to give is not a substitution for talking to one.  Just so we're clear, and all.  

First, let's talk about how Viagra works:  when a man is sexually aroused, signals from his brain release chemicals that relax specific muscles in his penis, allowing blood to flow in, making it hard.  When he's no longer aroused, he secretes a hormone (PDE5) which breaks the muscle relaxation chemicals down, causing the muscles to again constrict and push blood out.  Viagra inhibits the secretion of PDE5, which allows for increased penile blood flow for an increased period of time.  More blood flow = more boners.

Boner (expressed in scientific notation)

The female clitoris also becomes hard when a woman is sexually aroused, for the very same reasons a man's penis does.  Also like a penis, a hard clit is more sensitive than when its soft...so it would stand to reason that if a woman were to take Viagra, her clit would become more sensitive, which would make her more likely to orgasm, right?

easy as falling off a log

Although Viagra does work to increase blood flow to the clitoris, there is no evidence that it improves the likelihood of female orgasm.  There was a study that looked at premenopausal women taking SSRIs (a type of antidepressant which can cause sexual dysfunction in men and women), and another in diabetic women that did show some benefit from Viagra, but these trials were very small and done in very specific populations - their results can't really be generalized.  

It's also notable that Pfizer, the maker of Viagra, has no plans to study the drug in women anywhere in the works, which likely means they don't believe it to be useful for women.  If my time in the world of clinical drug trials taught me anything, it is that if pharma companies even suspect there might be a new indication for one of their drugs, they jump on research in a hot second.

because they care deeply about humanity

Dr. CJ, who finds time in between battling infectious disease, conducting cutting-edge research, raising two boys and being generally awesome to act as Chakabox's consulting physician, has this to say: "It has not been studied enough and I would not recommend using it."  Which is pretty much the conclusion I came to after reading up about the subject.

So, LIW, my advice to you would be to skip the Viagra and think about seeing a sex therapist, either with or without your partner.  She would be able to help determine if your issues with delayed orgasm are biological or psychological in nature, which I think is going to be the first step for you.  If it's biological, she'll be able to refer you to the proper medical provider for treatment.  If it's psychological, she'll be able to help you work through it.  Let me know if you'd like help finding a licensed therapist in your area!

Thank you so much for writing, and best of luck to you, LIW.  Let me know how things go, and if you have any additional questions.  That goes for everyone -  have a sexy question?  Send it in to the Answerbox!

4 comments:

  1. that answered a lot of questions for me too. Thanks lady.

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