The Journal of Sexual Medicine published an interesting new study which was carried out to assess the effects of a placebo on women who suffer from Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD). One third of women who experienced a low libido felt an improvement after taking a placebo pill. Some of the detailed analysis seems to demonstrate a very powerful link between psychological triggers and physical reactions.
By way of background, in the 90s, clinical trials were carried out in response to the hype surrounding drugs like Viagra and Cialis which are used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction in men, in the hope that these drugs would have a similar effect on aspects of female sexual dysfunction. The drugs did not work but recently researchers returned to the data collected regarding the consumption of Cialis by women and the results could be breakthrough.
Improvements regarding psychological aspects, such as their experience of desire altered substantially, but also their relationship with arousal and some felt more sufficiently lubricated. Reports of more frequent orgasms and orgasms that were more easily attainable were among the interesting discoveries.
50 women participated in the initial study, aged between 35 and 55 years old and took either Cialis or a placebo for 12 weeks.nThey were asked to have sexual intercourse three times per month and vast improvements in the frequency of sexual encounters were reported. Andrea Bradford, the author of the study, said that this may also have been due to the increase in level or frequency of sexual thought due to having to have more sex, speaking about sex more and writing about their sexual experiences.