Seriously though, brilliantly valid points across the board. Well done, Miss MC. Well done.

So for me, I actually need there to be medical knowledge of female anatomy, sexuality & functioning, in order to have that sexual pain (Which, for some women, can bleed out into areas besides sex,) addressed adequately.

When you have a moment, there was an article a NYTimes magazine about the development of FSD as a diagnosis. You may be interested in this if you haven’t seen it already, I thought it was pretty interesting & sensitive. Women Who Want to Want. This is of particular interest since it includes an interview with someone behind the HSDD diagnosis & who may shape the next DSM revision.

As both Dr. Petra & Neuroskeptic point out, It’s not accurate to say that Filbanserin will work just like Viagra. Viagra makes it easier for signs of arousal to take place, since it increases blood flow, but it does not create a desire for sex in and of itself. So when you say, “female Viagra has been invented,” it’s not clear to me if you mean to satirize news reports that treat erection as sexual desire.

Desire actually isn’t the biggest problem for me, so really Filbanserin would probably be even less appropriate for me than Viagra would. But some women I’ve talked to, they are bothered by low desire, and it’s a long-term thing that even sex therapy can’t figure out. Every once in awhile, a few glasses of wine and getting some help around the house or reducing stress, won’t resolve sexual problems…
(Plus I’ve had other doctors who have said to me that my pain was all in my head so relax & have a glass of wine, so that expression sounds very dismissive… Ouch.)

Who did you have in mind for women to talk to, when they are bothered by what they personally consider to be a low libido? Since sex is still largely taboo, friends & family are not always an option. What about doctors, who may be inclined to prescribe this new antidepressant? What about sex therapists, who also, hopefully after ruling out other problems, may also try it as a last resort option? For example, one sex therapist whose blog I read, she sounded more open to considering this drug as a last resort, after therapy & life changes don’t improve a patient’s satisfaction with their sex life. But the thing is sex therapy takes awhile to see if it’s going to work too, and if the therapist is able to prescribe medication, then is there still potentially a conflict of interest there?

I can definitely see how this drug is going to be marketed by the media, including The Sun. The media is going to seize upon this & sensationalize it. I agree that a simplistic view of sexuality isn’t sufficient for exploring & explaining sex. I can definitely see how this drug isn’t going to be right for everyone (not even right for ‘most,’) and how it is going to be important that doctors and consumers have access to as much data as possible (which isn’t easy to get to.) But at the same time, I can see how at least a few women would benefit from it, and it is for those very few that I don’t want to completely disregard drugs like Filbanserin.