Study seeks women who lack desire to have sex

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Study seeks women who lack desire to have sex

2 Nashville doctors help test drug that treats female libido

By E.

THE TENNESSEAN

Frustrated females yearning for that magic pill that may put the spice back in their love life may be in luck.

While the unnamed pill may not exactly be the female version of Viagra, which gives men the ability to perform, it would give women the desire.

Researchers, including two doctors in Nashville, are testing the drug in women who have Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder, a clinical diagnosis for people who have no desire for sexual activity or are unable to have sexual fantasies. There is no approved medication on the market to treat the problem, though many drugs have been studied as possibilities.

Dr. Bressman, an OB-GYN at http://www.twcpc.net/">Tennessee Women's Care, and Dr. Greg Kyser, a Nashville psychiatrist, are enrolling women in the study.

About one in five women has HSDD, though the number could be much higher because of the women who quietly endure the disorder, according to HSDD online, a consortium of researchers and writers.

"For the women, they can have self-esteem issues," Kyser said. "They feel like something is wrong with them, like something has changed."

The nationwide study will look at women pre-menopausal and post-menopausal who have HSDD that has not always existed and is not caused by other medications, such as antidepressants.

The http://www.psych.org/">American Psychiatric Association first recognized HSDD as a disorder in 2002.

Though men can have HSDD, how often it occurs is unknown and thought to be less frequent. Men who have it don't have the performance issues that can be corrected by drugs like Viagra but. like affected women, they have no desire.

The http://www.fda.gov/">Food and Drug Administration has never approved a drug to treat women's libido problems. In 2004, the FDA considered a Procter & Gamble testosterone patch but denied approval because of efficacy and safety concerns. The panel said more study was needed, according to FDA documents.

No hormones involved

Bressman said treatment for men and women would differ because the genders view sexual activity differently. The drug in this study does not involve hormones.

"The female libido is different from the male sex drive," Bressman said. "It is more brainy."

In the double-blind, controlled study, some women will get a placebo, or sugar pill, and some will get the drug. They will not know which they are taking.

During their participation, they will keep journals of their activities and thoughts. The study will be conducted at http://www.clinicalresearchassociates.com/">Clinical Research Associates on Church Street.

Radio advertisements and posters on restroom stalls in doctors' offices have helped doctors toward their goal of recruiting more than 900 women for the study.

"There is nothing like this drug," Keyser said. "This is a unique compound."

Some theories on the causes of HSDD include stress, psychological distress, health issues and drug interactions. The cause is often unknown.

Kyser said many of the women who come forward for the study have had children and had no issues with desire before giving birth.

"You hear from them, 'My husband is upset, it causes conflicts, and he askes me what's wrong, ' " he said. "Most often the women say, 'I can't tell him.' "

Additional Facts

TO JOIN THE STUDY

What: Two area doctors are helping a nationwide study to test the safety and effectiveness of a drug to treat Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder, or the lack of sexual desire or fantasies.

Who: Women who want to be candidates for the study must lack desire, be generally healthy and have regular menstrual cycles. A sister study also is being done on post-menopausal women who have HSDD and are healthy.

Contact: Call Clinical Research Associates at 615-329-2222 or www.clinicalresearchassociates.com.

Regards,

Vergel