July 6, 2015 – Flibanserin

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Anchor lead: How much help is a new drug to treat low libido in women? Elizabeth Tracey reports

Flibanserin is the scientific name given to the first drug to treat low libido in women, and an FDA panel has been given the recommendation to approve it.  Leonard Derogatis, an expert in women’s sexual health at Johns Hopkins, says there is a place for this medication.

Derogatis: Now docs have something that they can treat women with, and you’ll see that more of them address this condition, because right now the number of physicians, female and male, who avoid this condition or they refer these women to psychotherapists.  :17

Low libido in women is defined in the medical lexicon.

Derogatis: Hypoactive sexual desire disorder. It’s a mouthful.  It’s in the DSM IV, now in the DSM V it’s female sexual interest and arousal disorder.  :11

Derogatis says for those women who have this condition, studies do support the use of flibanserin.  At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.