HSDD affects at least 20 percent of women in the United States. Currently, there is no approved drug treatment for HSDD and psychotherapy has proven minimally effective. Researchers reported that almost one-third of the female subjects responded to the treatment, with increases in the number of episodes of sexual arousal, sexual fantasy, and interest in engaging in sexual activity. According to lead investigator R.Taylor Segraves, M.D., Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at MetroHealth Medical Center, response was seen as early as two weeks during the treatment phase. By the end of the treatment phase nearly 40 percent reported being satisfied with their sexual desire, whereas 100 percent were dissatisfied before starting treatment.
Low libido is the most common complaint among women experiencing sexual dysfunction.
HSDD is a condition that can cause emotional distress and problems in intimate relationships. Hopefully, our knowledge of how to diagnose and treat female sexual dysfunction will expand in the next decade. All 66 women received a placebo for four weeks, and 51 then received active treatment for eight weeks. Subjects were evaluated during bi-weekly clinic visits. Eleven dropped out of the study during the placebo phase, four dropped out at the beginning of the treatment phase.