Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors for treatment of women affected by sexual arousal disorders

Abstract

Objectives The study of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is a new, rapidly expanding area of sexual medicine. It has become increasingly evident that FSD can also have an organic basis. The treatment with vasoactive drugs is going to have therapeutic possibilities for FSD. Over the last 6 years, our Research Group for Sexology has been working to test the efficacy of vasoactive drugs on women affected by sexual dysfunction. Material and Methods Four studies are reported, all conducted with premenopausal women. The first was a double-blind, crossover, placebo study with 51 women affected by SAD. 25 or 50 mg Sildenafil was administrated. The second was double-blind, crossover, placebo study conducted with 50 healthy women that used 50 mg Sildenafil. Both the studies were performed using the PEQ. The third and the forth studies were performed with diabetic women affected by SAD, using ecocolor Doppler instrument to evaluate the changes of clitoral blood flow during a single administration or double-blind, crossover, placebo 100 mg Sildenafil treatment. Results In the first two studies women obtained improvement in arousal. In the second two studies better clitoral blood flow was observed during Sildenafil intake. Conclusions Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors seem to improve subjective sexual aspects and can be used to objectively treat genital arousal disorder of premenopausal women.