Women's sexual health
Care for low desire, arousal difficulty, and painful sex.
Treatment requires a consultation with a licensed provider. A prescription is not guaranteed — the provider decides what, if anything, is appropriate and safe for you.
About women's sexual health
Low desire, difficulty with arousal or orgasm, and pain during sex are common and rarely have a single cause. Hormonal changes, medications (SSRIs and hormonal contraception in particular), thyroid problems, pelvic floor tension, vaginal dryness, relationship context, stress, and sleep all contribute. Good care starts by finding the cause, not by reaching for a pill — a medication for desire will not fix pain from vaginal dryness, and vice versa.
Treatment options
Plain-language summaries. Your provider decides what is appropriate for you.
Flibanserin (Addyi)
For premenopausal women with acquired, generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder. Taken nightly. Carries important alcohol and blood-pressure warnings.
Bremelanotide (Vyleesi)
Self-administered before anticipated sexual activity for premenopausal women with HSDD. Nausea is common.
Vaginal estrogen or DHEA
Highly effective for dryness and painful sex related to menopause or low estrogen. Minimal systemic absorption.
Medication review
SSRIs, hormonal contraception, beta-blockers, and others can suppress desire. Adjusting the culprit sometimes resolves the problem entirely.
Pelvic floor and sex therapy referral
Pelvic floor physical therapy for pain, and sex therapy for desire and relationship factors, are well-supported and often the most effective route.
How it works
- 1
Tell us the basics
State, service interest, and contact details.
- 2
Clinical visit
A licensed provider explores which part of the picture is affected — desire, arousal, orgasm, or pain — and reviews medications and hormonal status.
- 3
Targeted plan
Treatment, referral, or both, if appropriate.
- 4
Follow up
Reassess after several weeks; these treatments need honest feedback to work.
Realistic timeline
What people typically experience. Individual results vary and are never guaranteed.
- Vaginal estrogenImprovement in dryness and comfort usually over 2-6 weeks.
- FlibanserinTaken nightly; benefit is assessed after about 8 weeks and stopped if there is no improvement.
- BremelanotideUsed on demand, about 45 minutes before activity.
Safety, side effects & interactions
You deserve this information before you decide, not after.
Common side effects
- Flibanserin: dizziness, sleepiness, nausea, fatigue
- Bremelanotide: nausea (common), flushing, headache, injection-site reaction
- Vaginal estrogen: local irritation, discharge
Serious risks
- Flibanserin carries a boxed warning for severe low blood pressure and fainting, particularly with alcohol, with CYP3A4 inhibitors, or in liver impairment. Alcohol precautions must be followed.
- Bremelanotide can transiently raise blood pressure and is not for uncontrolled hypertension or known cardiovascular disease.
- New pain during sex, bleeding, or a lump needs in-person evaluation.
Interactions
- Flibanserin: alcohol, fluconazole and other CYP3A4 inhibitors, and hepatic impairment.
- Bremelanotide can slow absorption of some oral medications.
Who this is — and isn't — for
May be a fit if
- Adults 18+ with distressing changes in desire, arousal, or comfort during sex
Not appropriate if
- Unexplained bleeding, a pelvic mass, or new severe pain — needs in-person evaluation
- Uncontrolled high blood pressure or known cardiovascular disease (for bremelanotide)
- Liver impairment or inability to follow alcohol precautions (for flibanserin)
Pricing
Common questions
Is there a 'female Viagra'?
Not really. PDE5 inhibitors do not treat low desire in women. Flibanserin and bremelanotide work on brain pathways involved in desire and are far more modest in effect than the nickname suggests.
Is a prescription guaranteed?
No. Treatment requires a consultation with a licensed provider, who may recommend pelvic floor therapy, sex therapy, or a medication change instead.
Could my antidepressant be the cause?
Quite possibly. Sexual side effects are common with SSRIs and SNRIs. Do not stop them on your own — ask a provider about adjusting or switching.
Ready to see if this is right for you?
Start with a few basics — state, service, and how to reach you. The medical questionnaire is completed with a licensed provider.
Start your visitThis page is general health education, not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It is not a substitute for care from your own clinician. If this is an emergency, call 911.