Addyi or Flibanserin, informally dubbed as the “female Viagra” or the “little pink pill," is making headlines. From critics who question the safety and effectiveness of the drug to avid supporters who celebrate the equal gender representation of sexual functions, the release of Addyi on Aug. 18 is significant, to say the least.
The little pink pill is a huge positive step in terms of addressing sexual functionality and social stigma despite some listed side effects and effectiveness.
Unlike Viagra, which works to affect blood flow, Addyi works to regulate certain brain chemicals that may affect sexual desire, primarily regulating dopamine and norepinephrine and decreasing levels of serotonin. Dopamine is most commonly known to produce a "feel good” feeling, and norepinephrine is known as a stress hormone, associated with the adrenal system. Both are also responsible for sexual excitement. Serotonin, on the other hand, is a neurotransmitter and is responsible for mood balance and sexual satiety, among other things.
"This legitimizes sexual desire as an important part of women’s lives:" http://t.co/2eXP8FasxJ pic.twitter.com/SHunRGwXSC
— Forbes (@Forbes) August 22, 2015
Addyi comes with a set of precautioned health risks and warnings, like dizziness, nausea, sleepiness, fatigue and dry mouth. Women are also advised to not take the pill when drinking. Health risks are not uncommon when it comes to pharmaceuticals, though. Pick up any bottle of pills and you’ll find a long list of side effects, not unlike Addyi’s.
The research conducted on the effectiveness of Addyi shows 10 percent more of the participants who took Addyi in comparison to those who took a placebo showed elevated improvements.
While the numbers aren’t as dramatic, there is an increase of participants who took Addyi and responded positively to it. While it is untrue to believe in the sentiment that if it works for some, it works for all, it is important to address that the effectiveness of Addyi is present. Now that Addyi will soon be available to the public, everyone can also contribute their experiences with the drug. Every body is different, and just because it wasn’t effective for some does not mean that it will not be effective to others.
The significance of Addyi is not just a platform for women’s rights or gender equality of sexual functionality. Addyi is addressing sexual functionality in women. Approximately 40 percent of women in America are affected by sexual dysfunction. Other than that, very little research is out there, and there’s not much known of female sexual dysfunction.
Most of the time, female sexual dysfunction is diagnosed as psychological rather than physiological. The symptoms are known, but not so much the origin of the cause. The fact that the mechanism on how Addyi works is not fully known speaks volume on how little information is available on sexual functionality.
With the arrival of Addyi, there is hope that women will be more comfortable bringing up sexual functionality. There is hope that we as a public will get more comfortable addressing medical sexual issues. More importantly, though, Addyi is just one of many steps forward in dispelling the stigma attached.
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