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Question:
A small study reported by New Mobility in Feb 1999 suggested that Viagra might enhance sexual arousal in women with spinal cord injury. Anything new on that subject?
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Answer:
by Mitchell Tepper: (05/17/2004)
The latest news on the use of Viagra in women with spinal cord injury stems from a June 2000 article in Urology by Drs. Sipski, Rosen, Alexander and Hamer. Sipski and colleagues studied the effects of Viagra (sildenafil) on sexual response in 19 premenopausal women with spinal cord injury. The randomized, double-blind, crossover study was designed to rule out both the placebo effect and investigator bias. In a nutshell, 50 mg of Viagra significantly increased subjective arousal in the women studied but did not significantly increase vaginal pulse amplitude, which is used as a measure of physiologic arousal. The strongest responses occurred when Viagra was combined with watching sexually explicit videos and manual clitoral stimulation. The drug was well tolerated with no evidence of significant adverse effects.
What does this mean for you? Based on this small study, Viagra demonstrates some promise of enhancing the personal perception of being sexually excited. The jury is still out on whether it actually improves blood flow to the vagina or lubrication, as it improves blood flow to the penis in men to help produce and maintain an erection. Luckily, lubrication can still be supplemented with safe, over-the-counter products.
As a researcher and educator more interested in the quality of the overall sexual experience than the direct genital response, I think the net result is good news but should be taken with a grain of salt. According to an informed source, a new 40-center clinical trial is planned to further the study of Viagra for women with spinal cord injury. Perhaps it will provide more definitive answers.
One other Viagra news item of interest: Viagra is proving to be an effective treatment for both female and male antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction.
--Mitch Tepper
Reviewed by Sexual Health Editorial Team
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