What’s Behind Addyi’s Slow Sales?

Although it doesn’t seem like that long ago television commercials for sexual health aids were considered controversial, these days products like Viagra are openly advertised and discussed. Since 1998, erectile dysfunction drugs have been mainstream, but unfortunately, women who suffer from sexual concerns have not had any real options when it came to prescription medications to boost libido and increase arousal. In order to combat this concern, Addyi was created.

What is Addyi?

Addyi is a prescription medication originally developed by Sprout Pharmaceuticals and then acquired by Valeant Pharmaceuticals. This medication is meant to be taken daily by women who are struggling with libido concerns, and it was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in August of 2015. The idea of a “female Viagra” was meant to be a game-changer, but because the drug is so new, results and sales have been hard to read. Unfortunately, there are other issues plaguing Addyi’s slow start.

The Cost of Addyi Can Be Detrimental

With a medication like Viagra, users only need to take a pill prior to having sex or sexual contact in order to achieve and maintain an erection. For females taking Addyi, the dosage must be taken daily in order to have the intended effect. While Viagra can cost around $26 per dose, Addyi can cost up to $780 per month for daily doses. This severely limits the amount of women who are able to afford the medication or reap its benefits. Even women who are able to afford Addyi may find it distracting to think about taking a daily medication for something that is not a daily activity.

Addyi May Lead to Low Blood Pressure

Another concern is that Addyi can lead to low blood pressure in some women, causing the potential for fainting and other side effects. Once again, this is a medication that needs to be taken daily in order to be successful, so women who are prescribed Addyi may be at a constant risk of drops in blood pressure. At work, while driving, or while performing other important tasks, a user could possibly faint and lose control. This has led many women to undertake a serious evaluation of the benefits versus the costs of using Addyi.

Users Must Abstain From Alcohol

When it comes to Viagra, men are instructed to avoid alcohol if possible, but if they choose to imbibe, they need to refrain from consuming large quantities of alcohol when taking the drug. For women taking Addyi, total abstinence is required in order for the drug to work and for the user to be safe. This can be tough for many women who enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, but it can also be tough because many couples use alcohol to loosen inhibitions prior to, during, and after sexual intercourse. This, coupled with the potential for low blood pressure and associated complications, can make it difficult to stick to the expensive regimen required of Addyi patients.

Addyi is Known to Only Work 10% of the Time

While Viagra has an efficacy, or effectiveness rate, of 50%, Addyi currently provides 10% of users with beneficial results. This figure may change with time as Addyi is still new and is still being studied, but such a low rate for such a high cost is certainly a barrier to popularity. If you were charged $780 a month for meals, knowing that only one out of ten would be delicious, would you continue to pay such a high amount? Once again, this figure may change in time, but for now, it is a prohibitive factor.

Neurotransmitter Effects Turn Some Away

Another thing that Addyi does is work on neurotransmitters, something that drugs like Viagra do not do. This can be off-putting to many women, especially when the verdict is still out on drugs that produce a physiological response involving the brain. Many people are wary of the impact SSRIs have on the body and the mind, and while Addyi is not an SSRI, it may affect the brain in similar ways.

Female Sexuality is Still Not Considered Mainstream

As mentioned above, Viagra and similar drugs were considered controversial topics during their first few years of public exposure, but female sexuality has been and continues to be a difficult topic for many women to bring out into the open. As a result, women who are experiencing sexual concerns are often still unable to bring these issues up with their medical providers. Even women who can afford Addyi and cross all of the other hurdles presented by the drug may find themselves uncomfortable with the topic, both within themselves and within discussing issues with their physician.

Thankfully, it’s easy to have a conversation with your physician regarding your current state of sexual health. At first, you may feel a bit embarrassed, but it’s important to know that other options are available from your medical provider. If Addyi isn’t your cup of tea, your provider can often suggest other solutions that may cost less and be more effective. You should also put aside doubt that you’re the first person dealing with a sexual condition that your provider has seen. He or she is a trained medical professional, so you should never hold back regarding physical, emotional, or psychological symptoms you’re experiencing regarding sexual health.

Female Libidos Are Often Not as High

By and large, as proven through history, men often have much higher sex drives than women. This is not to diminish the female sex drive or to suggest that some women are not ever more-so interested in sex than men, but on the average, men are more driven by sex than women. This means that a drug like Viagra is likely to do better than a female equivalent because men are going to seek out a solution in greater numbers.

Women often prefer foreplay, mental stimulation, and emotional stimulation over straight-up intercourse, while men are more driven by visual imagery and sex. This is part of why Viagra has been so successful over Addyi. Men are able to take Viagra, or a similar medication, and get the body in line with the mind within 30 minutes. Although the mind is already in the zone, the body is not. Pop a little blue pill and suddenly, the two are in sync. Unfortunately, for women, the body-brain connection doesn’t always work like this, especially when you involve emotion into the equation.

Once again, this does not apply across the board to all people, but research has shown that females are not as driven by sex in general. As a result, women may not be as quick to seek out a medication like Addyi as opposed to men seeking out something like Viagra.

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Andrew Rusnak is an author who writes on topics that include sexual health and medical technology.