Dr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale People

Why is it assumed that what she would (or should) desire most is to make her partner happy and thus to improve her “jeopardized” relationship? What type of—and whose—health are we most concerned with here? Further troubling is the way medical treatments for women’s low desire have been supported by financial stakeholders who brandish their arguments under the banner of “feminism.” For instance, Sprout Pharmaceuticals-funded “patient advocacy” campaign Even the Score helped catapult the drug through the FDA evaluation process, in large part by amassing a number of groups to apply pressure to the federal advisory board based on the flawed notion that the FDA’s prior reticence to approve a sexual dysfunction drug for women constitutes blatant sexism.

• Pink pills for women are dietary supplements aimed at enhancing female health.
• They often contain vitamins like B6, B12, and folic acid for overall wellness.
• Some pink pills focus on boosting libido and sexual health in women.
• Ingredients may include herbal extracts such as ginseng or damiana.
• Pink pills are marketed as aids for hormonal balance and mood improvement.
• They are available over-the-counter in health stores and online.
• Always check the ingredient list for allergens or harmful substances.
• Consult a healthcare professional before starting any supplement regimen.
• Pink pills may support skin health and reduce signs of aging.
• They are popular for promoting energy and reducing fatigue.
• Use pink pills alongside a balanced diet for optimal results.

The campaign—which includes groups such as the National Organization for Women (NOW), Sprout Pharmaceuticals itself, and a variety of so-called “women’s health” groups who received grants and other funding incentives from Sprout—has argued that women deserve access to a drug to treat their most common sexual problem (low desire), seeing as men have had a drug to treat their most common dysfunction (erectile disorder) for over fifteen years now (hence, the argument to “even the score”). Even the Score released a short “thank you” video after the FDA approval of Addyi in August 2015 (titled “#ThankYouFDA: Our First Step Towards Sexual Health Equity” on YouTube), expressing support and gratitude to the FDA for finally moving beyond their “sexist” ways and approving a drug for women. In this short clip, the male partner in an assumedly heterosexual relationship quips that the federal approval and release of Addyi might give “new meaning to his four-hour erection.” To this, his blonde, white, female counterpart responds, “I know what to do with it!” The video ends with an image of a “Treatment Score Board,” with the text “Men = 26, Women = 1.” An image created and distributed by Even the Score, a “patient advocacy” campaign funded by Sprout Pharmaceuticals which makes Addyi and pushed for its approval by the US FDA.

The number on the left represents available pharmaceutical treatments for men’s sexual dysfunction while the number on the right indicates Addyi, the first drug approved to address sexual dysfunction in women. Such imagery implies that FDA approval is a “win” for some variant of gender equality. However, not a single one of the “26” drugs for men affect neurochemistry or attempt to influence sexual desire. Instead of targeting men’s desire, they target men’s ability to maintain an erection. Addyi, by contrast, targets women’s desire, an aspect of which is purported to be their “receptivity” to their partner’s advances. Even the Score has consistently emphasized the number of sexual dysfunction drugs on the market designed for men and compared this to the number available for women, in order to suggest that the disparity reveals a pervasive lack of concern for women’s sexual problems. Thinking back on Even the Score’s ““#ThankYouFDA!” video—which now haunts me—I am deeply concerned about the false equivalences[7] being made so casually about the two drugs.

Just because there are drugs already on the market to treat men’s “most common sexual problem,” does that mean it will truly “even the score” to create and market drugs for women? How did we decide what men’s and women’s “most common sexual problems” are in the first place? Why do we assume they are so different from each other? Let us not forget the assumptions that are being made about men’s and women’s sexualities in each of these drugs’ design and mechanisms of action, and also in the corresponding gender-distinct disorders they require for prescription, compliance, and widespread societal endorsement. Sexual desire is not divorced from the domain of the political—how we have sex, with whom, and with what technologies (including drugs and other treatments), are all political choices. If we really cared about women, maybe we’d focus more on their pleasure, and try to dismantle some of the barriers to pleasure that women experience so regularly in our world—including childhood and lifelong sexual trauma, other forms of gendered harassment and violence, low pay, antiquated divisions of labor and disproportionate burdening with carework, with housework, with sex work, all types of exploitation, and all the other pressures that exert themselves on women (and other sexual and gender minorities) disproportionately in everyday life. Maybe we’d stop thinking about how to make women more receptive to men, and more about how to put women’s own desires and pleasures front and center. Let’s not pretend we’ve come a long way (baby), just because we now have a little pink pill to match his little blue pill. Especially not when the two pills do such very different things, and when they ultimately perpetuate such antiquated and binary narratives about what goes where and why—for whom—when it comes to sex. As I examine this sexual marketplace and tadalis sx 20 mg these debates wear on, I often wonder where real live women are in this mix. I wonder why we are so often occluded from the conversation when it comes to sex and sexuality—and how and why women’s desire is constantly being dissected, examined, and worked upon, but never stimulated, enlivened, and aroused on our own terms.

Even more so than women’s desire, it seems that women’s pleasure has been almost forcibly shut out of the clinic and the bedroom in too many times and places, or negated in lieu of someone’s else pleasure, and that this is still the case today. In this vein, we ought to remember that sexism and misogyny are still prevalent in a variety of insidious forms—within and outside of clinical medicine and scientific laboratories, and with or without prescription drugs. The medical and scientific climate around sexuality and proposed and prescribed treatments are rather effects of a widespread and willful ignorance of women’s pleasure, and thus they represent a larger social lacuna. This is why it seems so imperative to shift the debate from the drugs themselves to the larger medical, scientific, social, cultural, and political milieux in which gender differences are configured and disseminated—configurations that have real consequences for how people experience their own bodies, other people’s bodies, and their sex lives. If taking a drug will make women feel the desire that they desire to have, and that is satisfying and pleasurable to them, then, by all means, we should have it! But let’s not stuff too many pills down our throats before seriously considering what we want, why we want it, and what we could potentially want for our futures (sexual and otherwise). There are many trajectories to that place of pleasure—if “sexual” pleasure is what we choose to pursue.

Addyi is the #1 Prescribed Treatment for HSDD.1

Why is it assumed that what she would (or should) desire most is to make her partner happy and thus to improve her “jeopardized” relationship? What type of—and whose—health are we most concerned with here? Further troubling is the way medical treatments for women’s low desire have been supported by financial stakeholders who brandish their arguments under the banner of “feminism.” For instance, Sprout Pharmaceuticals-funded “patient advocacy” campaign Even the Score helped catapult the drug through the FDA evaluation process, in large part by amassing a number of groups to apply pressure to the federal advisory board based on the flawed notion that the FDA’s prior reticence to approve a sexual dysfunction drug for women constitutes blatant sexism. The campaign—which includes groups such as the National Organization for Women (NOW), Sprout Pharmaceuticals itself, and a variety of so-called “women’s health” groups who received grants and other funding incentives from Sprout—has argued that women deserve access to a drug to treat their most common sexual problem (low desire), seeing as men have had a drug to treat their most common dysfunction (erectile disorder) for over fifteen years now (hence, the argument to “even the score”). Even the Score released a short “thank you” video after the FDA approval of Addyi in August 2015 (titled “#ThankYouFDA: Our First Step Towards Sexual Health Equity” on YouTube), expressing support and gratitude to the FDA for finally moving beyond their “sexist” ways and approving a drug for women.

Other Interactions

In this short clip, the male partner in an assumedly heterosexual relationship quips that the federal approval and release of Addyi might give “new meaning to his four-hour erection.” To this, his blonde, white, female counterpart responds, “I know what to do with it!” The video ends with an image of a “Treatment Score Board,” with the text “Men = 26, Women = 1.” An image created and distributed by Even the Score, a “patient advocacy” campaign funded by Sprout Pharmaceuticals which makes Addyi and pushed for its approval by the US FDA. The number on the left represents available pharmaceutical treatments for men’s sexual dysfunction while the number on the right indicates Addyi, the first drug approved to address sexual dysfunction in women. Such imagery implies that FDA approval is a “win” for some variant of gender equality. However, not a single one of the “26” drugs for men affect neurochemistry or attempt to influence sexual desire. Instead of targeting men’s desire, they target men’s ability to maintain an erection.

Vegetarian & Alcohol Free for Men and Women

Addyi, by contrast, targets women’s desire, an aspect of which is purported to be their “receptivity” to their partner’s advances. Even the Score has consistently emphasized the number of sexual dysfunction drugs on the market designed for men and compared this to the number available for women, in order to suggest that the disparity reveals a pervasive lack of concern for women’s sexual problems. Thinking back on Even the Score’s ““#ThankYouFDA!” video—which now haunts me—I am deeply concerned about the false equivalences[7] being made so casually about the two drugs. Just because there are drugs already on the market to treat men’s “most common sexual problem,” does that mean it will truly “even the score” to create and market drugs for women? How did we decide what men’s and women’s “most common sexual problems” are in the first place? [1] Viagra is a drug designed to increase blood flow to the sexual organs and is targeted specifically to men, as an erection-enhancer in the case of “erectile disorder” or “erectile dysfunction” (ED).

[2] All of these proposed treatments were rejected by the FDA, including the oral ingestable tablet (flibanserin, or brandname Addyi) mentioned last in this list. The pill was only approved in 2015, after being shot down by the FDA twice, in 2010 and again in 2013. [3] The disorder would formally be diagnosed in a woman based on her “lack of, or significantly reduced, sexual interest/arousal” as it is purportedly manifested by at last three of six criteria.

i am no longer interested in masturbating

There are many trajectories to that place of pleasure—if “sexual” pleasure is what we choose to pursue. [1] Viagra is a drug designed to increase blood flow to the sexual organs and is targeted specifically to men, as an erection-enhancer in the case of “erectile disorder” or “erectile dysfunction” (ED). [2] All of these proposed treatments were rejected by the FDA, including the oral ingestable tablet (flibanserin, or brandname Addyi) mentioned last in this list. The pill was only approved in 2015, after being shot down by the FDA twice, in 2010 and again in 2013. [3] The disorder would formally be diagnosed in a woman based on her “lack of, or significantly reduced, sexual interest/arousal” as it is purportedly manifested by at last three of six criteria.

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One of these criteria is “no/reduced initiation of sexual activity, and is typically unreceptive to a partner’s attempts to initiate.” Here, we see how a woman’s desire to respond to her partner’s sexual advances becomes textually embedded in notions of “healthy” or “functional” female sexuality—as, according to this definition, being unreceptive to these advances signifies disorder. [4] Examples include the work of Carol Vance, Deborah Tolman, Michelle Fine, Meika Loe, and many other feminist scholars. My own recent academic work has also engaged with these themes extensively; see Spurgas, 2013, Spurgas, 2016, and the authors I cite for a critical sociological investigation of women’s desire and sexuality. [5] Another antidepressant, Wellbutrin (the brand name for bupropion)—which is a drug in the norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI) class—has been prescribed to offset the symptoms of low sexual desire and anorgasmia that often result as a side effect of taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac and Zoloft. In some cases, Wellbutrin has been shown to increase sexual response in women who are not on SSRIs, as well.

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[6] There are actually only about six Viagra-style drugs (PDE5 inhibitors) on the market today. The three primary drugs consist of sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra), and tadalafil (Cialis), and the slightly different versions of these drugs. The number “26” is thus arguably an inflation of what is actually available to men. And again, it must be reiterated that all of these drugs do the same thing—increase blood flow to the penis. They are taken on an as-needed basis, when patients seek to enhance a flagging erection. One of these criteria is “no/reduced initiation of sexual activity, and is typically unreceptive to a partner’s attempts to initiate.” Here, we see how a woman’s desire to respond to her partner’s sexual advances becomes textually embedded in notions of “healthy” or “functional” female sexuality—as, according to this definition, being unreceptive to these advances signifies disorder. [4] Examples include the work of Carol Vance, Deborah Tolman, Michelle Fine, Meika Loe, and many other feminist scholars. My own recent academic work has also engaged with these themes extensively; see Spurgas, 2013, Spurgas, 2016, and the authors I cite for a critical sociological investigation of women’s desire and sexuality. [5] Another antidepressant, Wellbutrin (the brand name for bupropion)—which is a drug in the norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI) class—has been prescribed to offset the symptoms of low sexual desire and anorgasmia that often result as a side effect of taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac and Zoloft. In some cases, Wellbutrin has been shown to increase sexual response in women who are not on SSRIs, as well.

Desire Starts in the Brain...

[6] There are actually only about six Viagra-style drugs (PDE5 inhibitors) on the market today.

Is Addyi right for me?

The three primary drugs consist of sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra), and tadalafil (Cialis), and the slightly different versions of these drugs. The number “26” is thus arguably an inflation of what is actually available to men. And again, it must be reiterated that all of these drugs do the same thing—increase blood flow to the penis. They are taken on an as-needed basis, when patients seek to enhance a flagging erection.

Overdose/Missed Dose

Not a single one of the “26” drugs that Even the Score claims exist for men affect neurochemistry or in any way influence the vicissitudes of sexual desire. [7] The false equivalence is a logical fallacy of inconsistency. It describes a situation wherein there appears to be a logical and apparent equivalence between two things, when, in fact, there is none. In medicine, pink lady is a term used for a combination of medications used to treat gastroesophageal reflux or gastritis. It usually consists of an antacid and the anaesthetic lidocaine.

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The name of the preparation comes from its colour – pink. Pink ladies often relieve symptoms for gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, they are generally believed to be insufficient to diagnose GERD and rule-out other causes of chest pain and/or abdominal pain such as myocardial infarction (heart attack).

Drug Interactions

Not a single one of the “26” drugs that Even the Score claims exist for men affect neurochemistry or in any way influence the vicissitudes of sexual desire.

• Many pink pills are marketed as libido enhancers for women.
• They can help alleviate symptoms of menopause and PMS.
• Some formulations include antioxidants like vitamin C and E.
• Pink pills may improve sleep quality and reduce anxiety.
• They are often packaged in small, discreet tablets or capsules.
• Consistent use for several weeks is usually necessary for effects.
• Beware of fake or unregulated pink pill products.
• Customer reviews can provide insights into effectiveness.
• Online forums often discuss experiences with pink pills.
• Women should verify ingredients for potential drug interactions.
• Not all pink pills are FDA-approved or clinically tested.

[7] The false equivalence is a logical fallacy of inconsistency. It describes a situation wherein there appears to be a logical and apparent equivalence between two things, when, in fact, there is none. In medicine, pink lady is a term used for a combination of medications used to treat gastroesophageal reflux or gastritis. It usually consists of an antacid and the anaesthetic lidocaine.

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Why do we assume they are so different from each other? Let us not forget the assumptions that are being made about men’s and women’s sexualities in each of these drugs’ design and mechanisms of action, and also in the corresponding gender-distinct disorders they require for prescription, compliance, and widespread societal endorsement. Sexual desire is not divorced from the domain of the political—how we have sex, with whom, and with what technologies (including drugs and other treatments), are all political choices. If we really cared about women, maybe we’d focus more on their pleasure, and try to dismantle some of the barriers to pleasure that women experience so regularly in our world—including childhood and lifelong sexual trauma, other forms of gendered harassment and violence, low pay, antiquated divisions of labor and disproportionate burdening with carework, with housework, with sex work, all types of exploitation, and all the other pressures that exert themselves on women (and other sexual and gender minorities) disproportionately in everyday life. Maybe we’d stop thinking about how to make women more receptive to men, and more about how to put women’s own desires and pleasures front and center.

Supplement for Men and Women

Let’s not pretend we’ve come a long way (baby), just because we now have a little pink pill to match his little blue pill. Especially not when the two pills do such very different things, and when they ultimately perpetuate such antiquated and binary narratives about what goes where and why—for whom—when it comes to sex. As I examine this sexual marketplace and tadalis sx 20 mg these debates wear on, I often wonder where real live women are in this mix. I wonder why we are so often occluded from the conversation when it comes to sex and sexuality—and how and why women’s desire is constantly being dissected, examined, and worked upon, but never stimulated, enlivened, and aroused on our own terms. Even more so than women’s desire, it seems that women’s pleasure has been almost forcibly shut out of the clinic and the bedroom in too many times and places, or negated in lieu of someone’s else pleasure, and that this is still the case today.

Non-GMO

In this vein, we ought to remember that sexism and misogyny are still prevalent in a variety of insidious forms—within and outside of clinical medicine and scientific laboratories, and with or without prescription drugs. The medical and scientific climate around sexuality and proposed and prescribed treatments are rather effects of a widespread and willful ignorance of women’s pleasure, and thus they represent a larger social lacuna. This is why it seems so imperative to shift the debate from the drugs themselves to the larger medical, scientific, social, cultural, and political milieux in which gender differences are configured and disseminated—configurations that have real consequences for how people experience their own bodies, other people’s bodies, and their sex lives. If taking a drug will make women feel the desire that they desire to have, and that is satisfying and pleasurable to them, then, by all means, we should have it! But let’s not stuff too many pills down our throats before seriously considering what we want, why we want it, and what we could potentially want for our futures (sexual and otherwise). The name of the preparation comes from its colour – pink. Pink ladies often relieve symptoms for gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, they are generally believed to be insufficient to diagnose GERD and rule-out other causes of chest pain and/or abdominal pain such as myocardial infarction (heart attack).