Page 64 - AVN June 2013

Feat_Novelty.06.13 5/21/13 7:46 PM Page 64
| By Iris Blocks
The Next New Pill
A Ar re e w we e r re ea ad dy y f fo or r b be et tt te er r l li iv vi in ng g t th hr ro ou ug gh h c ch he em mi is st tr ry y? ?
F F
olks in the sex toy industry, take heed: A new drug recently
received FDA approval, and it’s called Osphena, a name
derived from its main chemical formulation of ospemifene.
The estrogen-based drug is going to be launched in June,
after receiving hasty approval by the FDA.
What Osphena is prescribed for is for dyspareunia, aka “painful
intercourse” which can actually stem from a number of causes,
including menopause, cysts (both on the labia and inside the vagina),
psychological blockages (such as rape or abuse which can impact sexual
function and pleasure), injury, childbirth, herpes, endometriosis … you
ases
may be able to figure out that the list can go on and on. Basically, it’s
something will likely happen at some point in any woman’s lifetime.
There are several things about this product that may raise the hackles
of those concerned about women’s sexual health. First, it is estrogen
based, which is the hormone that has, over the past few decades, been
both praised and vilified in conflicting studies. Some research has
pointed to estrogen’s role in preventing things like breast cancer and
other pesky female diseases, while other studies have tagged estrogen as
a cause in fueling breast cancer.
Osphena is just the latest in a number of pharmaceutical-funded
studies aiming to create “the female Viagra.” But the FDA needs a
condition in order to approve a medicine to treat it.
As a result, “female sexual dysfunction” has been identified as a real
condition—though it seems like this term covers a multitude of health
issues, from the side effects of underlying health problems to a
behavioral pattern that’s been in existence since a stressed-out Eve told
Adam, “Not tonight, dear, I have a headache.”
We asked industry veteran Kim Airs, who has been in the sex toy
business for 20 years with a strong focus on female sexual health (she
consults with doctors and is a member of two sexual medical
organizations), what she thought about this new drug.
“I’m always skeptical of anything that can claim it can cure a
woman’s sexual ‘condition.’ Developing a pill on the lines of Viagra is
the brass ring for Big Pharma because currently there isn’t anything on
the market for this. It’s pretty interesting that Osphena has been fast
tracked thru the FDA with very little data or testing. It’s almost like the
FDA just wants to release something to take the pressure off themselves.”
Osphena’
s parent company, pharmaceutical company Shionogi Inc.,
is presenting the product as a panacea for all female sexual dysfunction.
But there are many other non-prescription products available that can
help women with sexual problems—and many of them are already
carried by pleasure product boutiques. For example:
Lubricants: Plenty of complaints from women about lack of
lubrication can be traced to simple causes. Antihistamines dry out
mucus membranes—and guess what lines the vagina? Right. These
mucus membranes also will be affected by doses of Claritin or other
antihistamine. Another common cause: that time of the month. The
lubrication inside a vagina varies according to the menstrual cycle. And
there
’s the inevitable end to those cycles—menopause—which can
cause, you guessed it, vaginal dryness. For women who don’t want a
pharmaceutical solution, there are dozens of gentle lubricants created to
promote vaginal health.
is the brass ring for Big Pharma FEATURE
”Developing a pill on the lines of Viagra
64 | AVN.com | 6.13
Capt
Dildos: If you want to thwart vaginal atrophy
and dryness, as the saying goes, use it or lose it.
Dildos come in every size and shape imaginable,
and the use of a properly proportioned toy can
help women stay in working order. If a female
customer asks for something to help with painful
intercourse, head her over to the butt plug depart-
ment for a nicely tapered toy she can gently insert
into her vagina. And you don’t have to tell her
what it’
s actually for, because in reality you can
stick a butt plug anywhere.
Stimulators: If all else fails, there
’
s also the
option of using a toy during intercourse to gently
stimulate the vulva and clitoris. At the very least, it
will get her mind off any pain that she may be
experiencing. And maybe it will even get her off.
But there will be those who will expect Osphena
to be the end all and cure all to “female sexual
dysfunction.” They will believe that all of their
sexual issues will be whisked away by swallowing a
little pill without fully knowing its long-term
effects.
But that could be good news for pleasure
product manufacturers and retailers. Better stock
more lube and toys for those anxious, Osphena-
swallowing women, because you never know. It
wouldn’t be the first time—or even the second—
that a little pill had a big impact on our sex lives.
Star
Above