Aphrodisiacs, chemical desire for women.

An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases sexual desire. The name comes from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sexuality and love. Throughout history, many foods, drinks, and behaviors have had a reputation for making sex more attainable and/or pleasurable. However, from a historical and scientific standpoint, the alleged results may have been mainly due to mere belief by their users that they would be effective (i.e., the placebo effect). As well as the obvious of obtaining a high number of sexual encounters for gratification, married couples may have in one time or another experience situations of low libido.
Female sexual arousal disorder (FSAD), commonly referred to as frigidity, is a disorder characterized by a persistent or recurrent inability to attain sexual arousal or to maintain arousal until the completion of a sexual activity. The diagnosis can also refer to an inadequate lubrication-swelling response normally present during arousal and sexual activity. The condition should be distinguished from a general loss of interest in sexual activity and from other sexual dysfunctions, such as the orgasmic disorder (anorgasmia) and hypoactive sexual desire disorder, which is characterized as a lack or absence of sexual fantasies and desire for sexual activity for some period of time. Although female sexual dysfunction is currently a contested diagnostic, pharmaceutical companies are beginning to promote products to treat FSD, often involving low doses of testosterone.
Intrinsa is a testosterone patch by Procter and Gamble designed to treat Female Sexual Dysfunction.

FSD covers at least four different conditions: problems with desire, arousal, achieving orgasm, and genital pain. The patch aims to increase libido in women. Doctors have used a range of other treatments for women, including various hormones, antidepressants, and male impotence drugs like Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis. According to a P and G survey on female health 30 million women are naturally menopausal, 3 million are distressed by their lack of sexual desire, and 20% of 25 million women who are surgically menopausal are distressed.
A drug like Intrinsa works by releasing the hormone testosterone through the skin into the bloodstream. In women, testosterone is naturally produced by the ovaries and the adrenal gland. However, levels of the hormone decline with age, sometimes dramatically so after the menopause or after a hysterectomy. Testosterone therapy is systemic and needs to be applied over a period of weeks or months to have a noticeable effect.
In P and G's studies over six months of surgically menopausal women, those who received a placebo said satisfying sexual activity increased by an average of 19%, vs. a 73% increase for Intrinsa patch users.
Alkyl nitrites (poppers), have a history of use as a sexual enhancement aid, going back about fifty years. According to the text "Isobutyl nitrite and Related Compounds", many researchers agree that the alkyl nitrite may be a true aphrodisiac in the sense of promoting and enhancing sexual response. Although common toxic effects is headaches, reported by 43% of users on at least one occasion. However, most of the users most of the time do not have headaches. In a survey of 255 experienced users, 10% had experienced nasal irritation at least once and five percent had experienced nausea or temporary loss of erection. These negative effects were usually associated with "overuse" or with certain brands, perhaps reflecting a product quality or storage problem.

Many people report aphrodisiac-like effects from ergot-dervived drugs, which is likely due to their enhancement of the excitatory neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain. Raising dopamine levels is known to increase sexual arousal, but there appear to be other mechanisms operating as well. Cabergoline is especially interesting, as it allows men to have multiple orgasms, like women, because it blocks the release of the orgasm-inhibiting hormone prolactin. Prolactin levels naturally increase with age in men, and this is often partially responsible for age-associated impotence. With cabergoline some men are able to have numerous multiple orgasms in rapid succession. In one study with cabergoline, 60 healthy males, between the ages of 22 and 31, normally needed a break of 19 minutes between lovemaking sessions.
However, after taking cabergoline, they were able to have several orgasms within a few minutes. Medical psychologist Manfred Schedlowski, who was involved in the trials at Essen in Germany, said the drug raised the libido to enable the male to orgasm again more quickly. Cabergoline was reported to have no side effects on men during the tests, although a more recent study found that the drug is associated with an increased risk of heart failure. There may be another drawback as well. There is evidence that the release of prolactin, which surges during orgasm, promotes the growth of new neurons in the brain a process called neurogenesis.

Now, researchers at Monash University, led by Professor Susan Davis of the Women's Health Group, are testing the effectiveness of a testosterone-based 'as required', rather than ongoing, treatment for anorgasmia (a type of sexual dysfunction, in which a person can not orgasm). "We anticipate the treatment will work like Viagra for women. Rather than a long-term, therapy-based approach, this drug can be taken when a woman anticipates sexual activity," Professor Davis said. "We have previously shown that for women with low sexual interest, testosterone therapy not only improves sexual desire and arousal, but also enhances a woman’s ability to reach orgasm." The treatment would be administered in droplet sized doses via the nostrils and will be effective from two hours after it is administered, for up to six hours. With both neurological and vascular effects, it is anticipated the drug will be effective in the context of sexual activity, but will have no ill-effects if the activity doesn't take place.

Professor Davis said sexual dysfunction had important health implications for women. "Through previous research, we have shown that women under 50, who are not experiencing sexual pleasure will still participate in sexual activity on average five times per month, primarily to maintain relationship harmony," Professor Davis said. "Further, we have shown that women who report poor sexual functioning have lower wellbeing, despite not being depressed. Doctors have little to offer women who are experiencing anorgasmia, and this could be a breakthrough study for women who currently are frustrated by the lack of any treatment option." The researchers are hoping to recruit pre-menopausal women from Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide to take part in the trial. Participants must be aged 18 to 49 and have experienced anorgasmia.
Sexually-enhancing properties of hydergine and yohimbine, as well as Hormone supplementation with testosterone can increase sex drive and performance in both men and women. These drugs and other pharmacological agents that assist with erectile dysfunction have vastly improved many people’s sex lives. In many cases drugs, some more them others have side effects which would probably be more harmful in the long run. Although clinical trials are in progress, it seems that its early days for a safe Aphrodisiac. The prospect of obtaining a legal drug that will cause sexual desire maybe more fantastic then the adverts that promote aftershaves and other beauty products. Drugs with secondary functions, that happen to enhance sexual libido can often be a ploy for the drug companies to re-market their product. Despite trials and research in the female libido, sexual dysfunction can effect as many as 1 in 4 women. Using a chemical solution to solve this problem might be the    last resort for what can be misinterpreted, as an off day for someone. In most cases the natural method of romance and gentle persuading is still the best solution. Going beyond natural Aphrodisiacs into the chemical realm, just seems like using a ruthie. A line that no one should cross...