Medical Treatment of the Female Sexual Dysfunction

Min, Kweon Sik

Abstract

During the past 10 years, there have been many studies in the field of female sexual function and dysfunction. Studies of genital hemodynamic-related sexual arousal, contractility of the genital tissue, and the effects of sex steroid hormones on sexual function are increasing our understanding of female sexual function and dysfunction, and also are fundamental to the pharmacotherapy of female sexual dysfunction. On the basis of the clinical studies, testosterone is a strongly recommended treatment for women with sexual desire disorder with androgen deficiency. Female sexual arousal disorder with defects in genital hemodynamics is considered as a candidate for drugs that increase genital blood flow, including phentolamine, phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, apomorphine, prostaglandine E1, and VIP derivates. Although many drugs have bee tested in the clinical treatment of sexual symptoms the results of clinical trials with these drugs have not been consistent. Women are largely affected in the initiation of sexual desire and in the process of sexual arousal by psychodynamics like mood or intimacy. However, some of the drugs which have shown inconsistent effects may still offer the promise of significantly improving sexual symptoms, and certainly offer treatment options that go beyond psychological treatment, which has been the only treatment available for many decades. In this review, I will summarize several drugs that have been tried clinically or could be applied theoretically.