In men, sexual dysfunction is generally diagnosed by the inability for a man to obtain an erection. This can be caused by medications, health conditions and age. Many men don’t realize that high blood pressure can cause erectile dysfunction. The problem with that is most medications to control blood pressure also can cause erectile dysfunction.

Viagra and other medications that have followed, are marketed to help men with erectile dysfunction to obtain an erection, but it does come with some health risks including elevating blood pressure.

Sexual dysfunction in women is harder to diagnose, let alone determine the cause, which can be age, medications and health conditions. Sometimes, female sexual dysfunction is caused by excessive dryness or a lack of natural lubricants, which makes sexual relations irritating and painful, thus causing a woman to avoid sex.

In some cases, women just lose their sexual libido or desire for sex. This too can be the result of age, medications, health conditions and even some mental or emotional issue. Sometimes it can be caused by a bad experience or experiences that makes it extremely difficult for a woman to become sexually intimate with a man. This is often the case after rape or incest or just a bad relationship.

Therefore, treating a woman’s sexual dysfunction is often more complicated than treating a man’s.

The FDA just approved a new drug – bremelanotide – that will be known by the brand name of Vyleesi, made by AMAG Pharmaceuticals. While Vyleesi is being billed as another female Viagra, it is far from the same thing and has far greater limitations to its use, according to the following report:

The drug, bremelanotide, sold under the brand name Vyleesi by AMAG Pharmaceuticals, is an injection to be taken before sex. It’s intended to treat women who are premenopausal and have hypoactive sexual desire disorder, where a lack of interest in sex may cause significant distress in a woman’s life.

It will be available in September, and the company has not yet determined pricing or reimbursement information, according to AMAG spokeswoman Sarah Connors.

Sheryl Kingsberg, division chief of Behavioral Medicine at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, was involved in the clinical trials of the new drug. She commented:

Most women who come into my office have no idea that there’s this condition … and that they are one of millions.

…the impact of sexual dysfunction on a woman’s self-esteem, on her body image, on her self-confidence and on her relationship is profound.

No matter how good my psychotherapy, how good the relationship, how good their beliefs and values are about sexuality being healthy, there are a huge number of them that I cannot help because there is an underlying biologic issue.

One of the advantages of Vyleesi over another so-called female Viagra, Addyl, is that it does not appear to have any adverse reaction to alcohol. Addyl cannot be taken with alcohol, so many women have avoided it, but that obstacle seems to have been overcome with Vyleesi.

Another difference between the two is that Addyl is a tablet that needs to be taken daily, whereas Vyleesi can be taken as needed.

Women need to be warned that Vyleesi is not a cure-all for their sexual dysfunction, but in many cases, it may just be the ticket to a more fulfilled sexual relationship.