What is viagra
Viagra is the famous blue pill used to treat Erectile Dysfunction in men. It is a brand name for a drug called Sildenafil, used to treat pulmonary hypertension. It used to be just available on prescription, but this isn’t the case anymore as it can now be bought over the counter. It comes in the form of swallowable and chewable tablets, as well as in liquid forms.
How it works
Viagra helps men who can’t seem to get or sustain an erection by inflating the blood vessels. With viagra, blood supply is increased, which makes erection and sustenance of it throughout sex possible.
Does viagra work in females?
It’s worth noting that female arousal difficulties are not related to blood flow. Low libido in women is a spectrum and reasons range from hormonal, relationship problems, or psychological.
According to research reported by Web med, 42% of women who took Viagra felt increased satisfaction during sex compared to 26% who used placebos. Similarly, 57% of viagra users reported improved sensation in the genital area during sex as against 44% of women who used placebos.
The pill was noticed to work mostly among women who had sexual arousal problems but previously had satisfying sex. It wasn’t effective for those who had issues with sexual desire. This is expected because viagra doesn’t work to increase desire even in men. Men with underlying physical or psychological issues use viagra to help them perform, not necessarily to increase their libido.
Owing to this fact, it is posited that Viagra may be a potential solution in women with normal hormone levels and in healthy relationships who never had issues with their sex life. On the other hand, women with a more complex sexual problem may not enjoy any benefit from taking Viagra to treat their sexual dysfunction issues.
Further study is needed to clear up discrepancies and ascertain if viagra can help women acheive sexual pleasure and satisfaction. A certain meta-analysis of the effect of placebo on female sexual dysfunction intimated that 67.7% of the treatment effect for female sexual dysfunction is accounted for by placebo.
Showing that viagra and other current treatments for that matter are minimally superior to placebo. Up until now, Subsequent studies have been unable to establish convincingly the efficacy of viagra in treating sexual dysfunction in women.
What Viagra does in women
When a woman takes viagra, blood flows to the vagina and clitoris to achieve a clitoral erection. Similar to what it does to the erectile tissues of the penis in men. Side effects include
- Mild to moderate headaches
- Running nose
- Nausea
- Nasal congestion
- Flushing
- Visual disturbances
- Indigestion
- Palpitations
Is Viagra safe for women?
While viagra is considered generally safe for men, we cannot categorically say so for women, specifically in the long term because data about this is scanty. Other than the side effects mentioned above, from studies, viagra appears to be quite well-tolerated in women. However, It tends to drop blood pressure.
Therefore, It could be risky if you already suffer from low blood pressure. Viagra interaction with such medication may reduce blood flow to the heart or brain. Viagra Shouldn’t be combined with Amyl nitrate. Combining both medications can cause dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting. In rare cases, it has caused death.
What is sexual dysfunction?
Sexual dysfunction affects both men and women. It occurs at any phase of the sexual response cycle and prevents you from experiencing satisfaction from sexual activity. T is Seen in women of any age but more common at 40 yrs
Symptoms of sexual dysfunction
- Low sexual desire or drive
- Inability to get aroused
- Vagina dryness before and during intercourse
- Painful intercourse
- Vaginal muscles do not relax to allow intercourse
Factors that influence sexual dysfunction in women
- Stress
- Relationship issues
- Pregnancy
- Childbirth
- Menopause
- Prior negative experiences
- Anxiety or preoccupations like spectatoring
- Chronic health conditions like diabetes.
Treatments of sexual dysfunction in women
If you experience vagina dryness or painful sex, lubricants and estrogen into the vagina can help. Estrogen can help to lessen dryness and soreness in the vagina to improve sexual experience.
Topical estrogen is considered safe unless you have a history of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Only then will your doctor disapprove of it. Even so, some other hormonal-free vaginal moisturizers and lubricants may provide relief.
Post-menopausal women with decreased sexual desire may benefit from testosterone therapy. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may be prescribed, although there is limited evidence of its efficacy.
Addyi, also known as flibanserin, is popularly referred to as the female viagra. It doesn’t help that it comes in pink colors and was initially developed as an antidepressant. However, It works differently from how viagra works. It is used in women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder to increase sexual motivation in them. It is still unclear how effective they are and have been linked to unpleasant side effects.
How effective they are is unclear as results are mixed and they are associated with undesirable side effects like:
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Nausea
- Fatigue
According to three 24-week clinical trials in 2,400 premenopausal women with HSDD, only 10 out of every 100 patients who were treated with Adyll reported meaningful improvements.
The trial shows that Addyi increased the number of sexual events that would occur by one per month,” While this might not be a significant change, one per month could make a huge difference to those who had experienced a sexless relationship as a result of sexual dysfunction.
For some others, this result isn’t impressive. In the simplest of terms, there is nothing like a female viagra. If you’re experiencing arousal or any form of sexual difficulties, see your GP, and maybe a psychosexual to treat any underlying physical or psychological problem.
Other Treatments that may help
Medication change
Your doctor might need to change medication if you are on medications that affect your sex drive. For instance, certain antidepressants, contraceptives, and allergy medications are known to do this.
Use vibrators
Vibrators and dildos may if you have arousal or orgasm problems, especially with some guidance from an experienced sex therapist.
Go for counseling
A mental health professional can help with any emotional or psychological barriers that may be responsible for your sexual setbacks. You can choose to do this with your partner or alone.
Open communication
Communicate with your partner about how and what you feel to build bonds and overcome blockers.
Try clitoral stimulation
Intimate activities like clitoral stimulation may be the answer to your sexual problems. Exploring your body during sex with or without your partner may help you know what best arouses you.
Conclusion
Viagra for men and its effect has been studied extensively. For instance, Noah reported that a 2021 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) suggested that consuming viagra can significantly lessen the risk of cardiovascular diseases in men and increase their lifespan.
Viagra has also been associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease in men. On the flip side, much still needs to be done and heard about the many potentials this drug holds in benefitting the health of women. Until then, the blue pill may not be what you need. Seek professional help.
