Viagra for Women
In 2004, Pfizer Inc., the makers of the Viagra pill - introduced to improve men`s sexual health and functioning - announced that they would be abandoning eight years of previous research conducted in an attempt to develop a drug similar to Viagra to improve female libido and sexual health. Other products designed to improve sexual health in women are available, but can these Viagra alternatives provide effective results when it comes in increasing sexual desire in women?

How Does Viagra Work?
Viagra works by blocking an enzyme that acts as an inhibitor of blood flow. In men, this can cause penile tissue to swell. When a man takes Viagra, there is an increase in blood flow to the genital areas, which thus helps to treat erectile dysfunction or impotence in men.

The same enzyme inhibitor affecting male sexual dysfunction influences pelvic blood flow in women. The Viagra research team attempted to find a link between arousal in women and pelvic blood flow in the early stages of trials. However, this attempt failed, and some researchers even suggested that genital arousal in women does not necessarily produce sexual desire in women as it typically does in men. Women may define sexual arousal based on mental and emotional, as well as biological factors.

According to some of the researchers working on the Viagra team, Viagra for women or a Viagra alternative may help women facing sexual dysfunction due to side effects of other medication. In cases where sexual desire is inhibited due to emotional or psychological factors, a female Viagra solution may not be applicable.

Women and Sexual Health
Approximately 43% of women suffer from some form of sexual dysfunction. Sexual dysfunction in women is characterized by a lack of desire, arousal, or orgasm. Lack of desire is considered to be the most common complaint among these women. Approximately 20% of these women report having difficulties with lubrication, which can be assisted by Viagra-like drugs that may increase blood flow to the genitals.

Some common factors that inhibit women??™s sexual health include:
- family concerns
- relationship concerns
- illness or death
- financial or job worries
- childcare responsibilities
- previous or current physical or emotional abuse
- fatigue
- depression

Physical factors that may be contributing to sexual dysfunction in women include:
- hypertension
- heart disease
- cancer
- diabetes
- thyroid disorders
- neurological diseases
- autoimmune disorders such as lupus
- prescription drugs such as anti-hypertensives and depression medication
- over-the-counter medications
- drug and alcohol abuse