Treatment for Women With Low Sex Drive Professor David J. Demko, gerontologist and editor AgeVenture News Service, Boca Raton, Florida 05-24-2000 A study by Cleveland's Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine offers hopeful news for the entire range of GenX, Boomer, and Senior Adult women who suffer from low sex drive. Clinically labeled as hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), the affected women, age 26 - 65 years responded to treatment that addressed their condition. HSDD affects about one-in-five U.S. women. HSDD is characterized by a combination of factors including persistently diminished or absent sexual fantasies or desire for sexual activity, and can affect both men and women. A person diagnosed with HSDD can still function sexually. "By the end of the treatment phase nearly 40 percent reported being satisfied with their sexual desire, whereas 100 percent were dissatisfied before starting treatment," said lead investigator R. Taylor Segraves, professor of psychiatry at CWRU's School of Medicine and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at MetroHealth Medical Center. Research study found that bupropion hydrochloride sustained-release tablets may be an effective treatment for hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in females for which psychotherapy has proven minimally effective and there is no approved drug treatment. Researchers reported that almost one-third of the female subjects responded to the treatment, with increases in the number of episodes of sexual arousal, sexual fantasy, and interest in engaging in sexual activity. "The results of this study are encouraging." Response was seen as early as two weeks during the treatment phase. By the end of the eight-week treatment phase, the response rate indicated a more than two-fold increase in frequency in interest in sexual activity, almost double the frequency of sexual arousal (from 1.3 to 2.4 times, on average), and more than twice the number of sexual fantasies (from 0.7 times to 1.8 times, on average, following treatment). Bupropion hydrochloride SR has been shown to reverse or minimize sexual dysfunction associated with SSRIs such as Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft, when patients either switch to Wellbutrin SR or use it as an add-on to existing antidepressant treatment. Bupropion hydrochloride SR is approved for the treatment of depression and is marketed as Wellbutrin SR by Glaxo Wellcome Inc. "Further research is needed on the use of bupropion hydrochloride SR as a treatment for HSDD - a condition which can cause emotional distress and problems in intimate relationships," says Segraves. See related articles in the AgeVenture archives. AgeVenture Lifestyle Features AgeVenture Headline News