# Women's Viagra: apparently Viagra has an effect, but women interpret it differently **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 10, 2016, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-viagra-apparently-viagra-has-an-effect-but-women-interpret-it-differently/748534 "2016-03-10T12:20:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-viagra-apparently-viagra-has-an-effect-but-women-interpret-it-differently/748534/41 "2016-03-13T00:43:19Z")
> [@dizzee\_dee](#): > > I was driving and heard an interview on the radio. It may well be “hearsay” in a legal aense. But I didn’t make it up and I am not lying. > > And my request for a cite was on the statement that most women’s sexual disfunction is psychological and all men’s sexual disfunction is physical. > > Do try to keep up. Viagra and Addyi are drugs with completely different mechanisms of action and are not remotely comparable drugs. Viagra is for men who are already psychologically aroused, and want to have sex, but are physically unable to get an erection; it treats a physical problem. Addyi is for women who are not psychologically aroused, but would like to be. The former is a much simpler issue than the latter. And, I’m a man, so if you want to dismiss this as mansplaining, then so be it. I prefer to think of it as drugdevelopmentscientistsplaining, but whatever. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-viagra-apparently-viagra-has-an-effect-but-women-interpret-it-differently/748534/42 "2016-03-13T00:49:32Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > . And it would seem to me that anything that could help encourage a male erection would help stimulate or arouse a clitoris. But this is beyond **my region of expertise.** Bolding mine. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-viagra-apparently-viagra-has-an-effect-but-women-interpret-it-differently/748534/43 "2016-03-13T00:51:53Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > well, all I can say it’s about time they started studying women’s sexuality instead of pretending it doesn’t exist. There is a “Missus a Higgens” joke in here somewhere… ---
**Author:** ![JR\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-viagra-apparently-viagra-has-an-effect-but-women-interpret-it-differently/748534/44 "2016-03-13T01:51:31Z")
> [@dizzee\_dee](#): > > When they first started talking about the upcoming FDA release of this “female viagra” I heard an interview with a WOMAN! Doctor (They made a big deal of her sex, not her specialty) and she talked about how she would need to have her patients psychologically evaluated before she would be prescribing it. And it kind of pissed me off. > > I remember when Viagra, and later Cialis, were new and available as samples… Our docs were giving them out like candy. No one EVER suggested that a man needing help in the bedroom was psychologically damaged. > > And FYI increasing blood flow to the girlie bits might not MAKE sexual arrousal, but is should help with increased sensation in the area and therefore increase satisfaction. YMMV Point one: one of the most common reasons for lack of sex drive and lack of sexual pleasure in women is depression. Women whose sexual issues are caused by undiagnosed depression need treatment for depression, not for low sex drive. Point two: Addyi is a completely different animal from Viagra. Viagra acts essentially via manipulating blood pressure; it’s a hydrodynamic aid to the mechanical function of the penis (so that penetration can ensue), not an aid to arousal or satisfaction. Addyi, on the other hand, is intended to cause increased libido: not to make it easier to have sex or to have an orgasm, but to make the patient _want sex in the first place_. It is a psychoactive drug, originally developed as a potential antidepressant, and it acts by affecting the [serontonergic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonergic) and [dopaminergic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dopaminergic) signalling pathways in the brain. By action, it is far more similar to drugs like Prozac and Ritalin than to Viagra; drugs with similar psychoactive profiles can cause severe side effects when given to people with existing psychiatric problems. Just by its mechanism, it is reasonable to suspect that Addyi patients should be prescreened for psychiatric conditions for the same reason that men seeking Viagra need to be screened for heart problems: using the drug with an existing sensitizing condition could be very, very bad for you. Anyway, I, as a woman, agree with those who think Addyi is a giant crock of BS. Not only is its efficacy and safety profile terrible, the primary causes of “generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder” (not wanting to have sex as often as you think you should, or, for a lot of women, as often as your _partner_ thinks you should) are bad sex, bad relationships, stress, and/or a lack of time and energy, not some chemical imbalance in women. ---
**Author:** ![JR\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-viagra-apparently-viagra-has-an-effect-but-women-interpret-it-differently/748534/45 "2016-03-13T02:09:13Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > And it would seem to me that anything that could help encourage a male erection would help stimulate or arouse a clitoris. But this is beyond my region of expertise. Viagra doesn’t actually change a man’s sex drive, or arousal, or pleasure\*: it just helps the equipment get into position. A man can perfectly well have sex without an erection, unless you think penetration is a prerequisite for sex (which admittedly a lot of men do). As the owner of a clitoris, I don’t see how engorgement, by itself, would “help stimulate or arouse”, except by maybe making it a bigger target. It’s like expecting that, since women lubricate when aroused, squirting some KY on the area would induce arousal. (\* OK: It can prolong an erection, and maybe shorten the refractory period. And of course many men find inability to get or maintain an erection psychologically distressing and therefore an impediment to sexual satisfaction in and of itself.) ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-viagra-apparently-viagra-has-an-effect-but-women-interpret-it-differently/748534/46 "2016-03-13T05:50:44Z")
> [@](#): > > Quote: > Originally Posted by CalMeacham View Post > And it would seem to me that anything that could help encourage a male erection would help stimulate or arouse a clitoris. But this is beyond my region of expertise. um, no. I own a clitoris and it really doesn’t matter if it’s up or down. You can have an orgasm either way if stimulated correctly. I can’t think of any way viagra would have a beneficial effect on women. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-viagra-apparently-viagra-has-an-effect-but-women-interpret-it-differently/748534/47 "2016-03-13T07:48:52Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > well, all I can say it’s about time they started studying women’s sexuality instead of pretending it doesn’t exist. Or that it’s exactly the same as men’s, which seems to be option number two, or that women have only two settings: virgin and whore - and who says Mary was a one-shot? With the amount of people who seem to think their own mother never had sex, you’d think gemation is the common mode of human reproduction. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-viagra-apparently-viagra-has-an-effect-but-women-interpret-it-differently/748534/48 "2016-03-13T08:24:21Z")
I’ve read elsewhere (and it makes sense to me, IMHO) that the issue with female Viagra is that it’s more of an attraction problem than an arousal problem. Woman is with a man she’s not attracted to. Taking Viagra doesn’t change that. Especially if it’s a long-term partner she’s bored with. Man has an erection. Wants to have sex. FWIW, I’m in my mid 30s and have frequent erections that have nothing to do with sex. I don’t relate to men who say they don’t get random erections. Also, I can’t relate to men who say they couldn’t even get it up unless a woman is a certain level on an attractiveness scale. Pretty sure if I felt like having sex I could get it up for anyone. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-viagra-apparently-viagra-has-an-effect-but-women-interpret-it-differently/748534/49 "2016-03-13T17:27:55Z")
Guys can have orgasms without erections too. I’m under the impression that a lot of guys don’t realize that. (or women either for that matter). ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-viagra-apparently-viagra-has-an-effect-but-women-interpret-it-differently/748534/50 "2016-03-13T18:51:50Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > Guys can have orgasms without erections too. I’m under the impression that a lot of guys don’t realize that. (or women either for that matter). Very true. Engorgement of erectile tissue (penis, clitoris) and pelvic congestion for production of natural lubricant enhances the chances for success of reproduction (and success of enjoying the encounter) but is not necessary for achieving orgasm. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2016, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-viagra-apparently-viagra-has-an-effect-but-women-interpret-it-differently/748534/51 "2016-03-14T19:35:08Z")
> [@dizzee\_dee](#): > > One might if one had not heard the quote I was speaking of. The woman said before all that she would have her female patients psychologically evaluated. Thanks for your mansplaining. > > snip I guess we’re stuck with your interpretation of the interview, which is sort of unfortunate considering your wild assumptions and baseless accusations in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2016, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-viagra-apparently-viagra-has-an-effect-but-women-interpret-it-differently/748534/52 "2016-03-14T19:43:13Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > On NPR, they were talking with a woman physician, I think a prof at an Ivy League school. As almost an aside towards the end, the reporter asked her “so, will there be a female Viagra?” and the MD said "there already is: the original Viagra. It has the same effect on blood flow, etc. on women as men. My late wife was on Viagra (Sildenafil) for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, 20mg three times a day, every day. She reported no noticeable effect at all. ---
**Author:** ![dizzee\_dee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@dizzee\_dee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dizzee_dee)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-viagra-apparently-viagra-has-an-effect-but-women-interpret-it-differently/748534/53 "2016-03-23T04:29:47Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > I guess we’re stuck with your interpretation of the interview, which is sort of unfortunate considering your wild assumptions and baseless accusations in this thread. So sorry I didn’t pull over in 70 mph rush hour traffic to take notes. ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2016, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-viagra-apparently-viagra-has-an-effect-but-women-interpret-it-differently/748534/54 "2016-03-24T03:53:55Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > It’s actually one of my personal campaigns to eliminate ignorance: Gentlemen, just because she’s wet down there does _not_ mean she is aroused! I’ll vouch for that (Anaamika’s campaigning). It’s the third or fourth time I’ve seen her post this kind of info. What I find truly surprising is that it seems like I’m the only male who was fully aware of that info years before I had seen Anaamika bringing it to Dopers’ attention. Ahhh, well. :o Keep up the good efforts, m’lady! –G! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-viagra-apparently-viagra-has-an-effect-but-women-interpret-it-differently/748534/55 "2016-03-25T08:49:07Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Yeah, well, while I understand what you mean, I didn’t find your joke funny. This is how it goes down: “She liked it! She was wet! It wasn’t rape! It wasn’t coercion!” > > I won’t apologize for being serious about something that is very serious to me. There’s a difference between apologizing for calling someone a bigot because you didn’t get a joke and apologizing for being serious. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-viagra-apparently-viagra-has-an-effect-but-women-interpret-it-differently/748534/56 "2016-03-25T11:39:34Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > There’s a difference between apologizing for calling someone a bigot because you didn’t get a joke and apologizing for being serious. I think what she did still qualifies as fighting ignorance. “It was a joke!” doesn’t mean all misconceptions have been cleared up. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2020, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-viagra-apparently-viagra-has-an-effect-but-women-interpret-it-differently/748534/58 "2020-07-21T19:42:12Z")
I know someone who works for the company that sold Addyi and then got it back because nobody wanted to use it. I believe it is still not used very much but the founder of the company got around $1 billion to sell the drug to a big pharma company and she got it back for free. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2020, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-viagra-apparently-viagra-has-an-effect-but-women-interpret-it-differently/748534/59 "2020-07-21T22:41:20Z")
What do you mean by “got it back”? Did pharmacies return the drugs, or was the patent returned, or what? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-viagra-apparently-viagra-has-an-effect-but-women-interpret-it-differently/748534/60 "2020-07-22T11:47:03Z")
the original company got the rights to sell the drug back from the company they sold the rights to. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-viagra-apparently-viagra-has-an-effect-but-women-interpret-it-differently/748534/61 "2020-07-23T12:59:25Z")
It helps if you read the post carefully before responding – I said in my post that Viagra doesn’t cause arousal. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-viagra-apparently-viagra-has-an-effect-but-women-interpret-it-differently/748534.md?page=2)