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Pink viagra for girls
By George Wright, Evening Standard Last updated at 00:00am on 18.10.02
Kim Cattrall: 'it really does work'
A female version of Viagra, the drug that transformed the sex lives of millions of men, could soon be developed.
It was previously thought that the little blue pill, which has been widely used by men all over the world since 1998, would do little, if taken by women, to improve their enjoyment of sex.
But latest tests have suggested that more than half the women given Viagra reported heightened satisfaction during sex.
The discovery has given fresh momentum to plans for the commercial production of a female version of the drug - nicknamed "pink Viagra" - which could help millions of women who suffer from sexual frustration. The latest study tested 202 women with "female sexual arousal disorder", or an inability to enjoy sex. Fifty-two of them were post-menopausal and the rest had had hysterectomies.
They were given either Viagra or a placebo for 12 weeks and asked to note any change in their love lives.
The experts who led the study, sisters Dr Laura Berman and Dr Jennifer Berman, found that 57 per cent of patients who had taken Viagra were far more likely to report improved sensation and satisfaction - compared with 44 per cent on the dummy drug. Increased satisfaction was reported by 42 per cent, they told a health conference in Montreal.
A number of women reported their orgasms improved significantly. However, some reported minor side-effects such as headaches, flushes and nausea.
Pfizer, which makes Viagra, said it was "cautiously optimistic" about the possibility of designing a version of the pill for women. Further research, likely to take several years, would be necessary before it could apply for a commercial licence. Spokesman Geoff Cook said: "This is the most encouraging study so far. "
Kim Cattrall, star of Channel 4's Sex and the City, was one of the first women to publicly admit that she had taken Viagra.
The Liverpool- born actress said the drug had given her sex life with third husband Mark Levinson a major boost. Miss Cattrall, 46, said: "Mark got some Viagra and we tried it together. It really does work."
