Why 'Pink Viagra' won't solve your marriage crisis
 

Viagra, the pill for erectile dysfunction, was launched just over a decade ago.
 

Predictably, it became a huge success. And ever since, the search for a female equivalent has become a holy grail for drugs manufacturers seeking to emulate the £1.3 billion sales of Viagra.

As a social psychologist who talks to people about their sex lives for academic research purposes, you might think I would be in favour of such a tablet. 

Well, I am most fervently not.
 

This is why I back the news that Flibanserin - the antidepressant-like drug that is supposed to increase desire in women - has been rejected by an advisory panel for the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

I can see why many stressed, overworked, sexless couples - and believe me, there are legions of them - would be in favour of such a magic bullet.
 

But while Viagra solves a mechanical problem, sexual arousal is more complex.
 

A mood-altering drug would simply paper over myriad problems that cause women to lose interest in sex.

The German makers of Flibanserin, Boehringer Ingelheim, approached me three times in an attempt to get me on board.
 

They offered me £1,000 to attend a training day at a Hilton Hotel so that I could then tell GPs about the condition - hypo sexual desire disorder, or HSDD - that their drug is supposed to treat.
 

They also sent me a pre-written article about HSDD, offering me £250 to put my name to it, as a sexual health professional.

I was outraged and submitted it to the FDA during the approval procedure.

So why am I against this medication?
 

Sometimes a sexual problem does need to be fixed medically: if you have pain during sex, or if your problem is related to the menopause or a sexually transmitted infection.
 

But drug companies developing products such as Flibanserin imply that low libido is always a medical problem. It is not. Couples go off sex for many reasons.

If you want to solve the problem you need to explore psychological, physiological and social factors.
 

It could be something as simple as partners not getting on; a woman may have struggled with body image; or it may be due to a dent in self-confidence.
 

If you are depressed and you do not want to have sex, there is your reason. Do you need another diagnosis?
 

If you have had a baby and you go off sex, is there something wrong with you?

I don't deny low desire is a problem for many women, but I don't feel the diagnosis of HSDD helps us understand our needs. And prescribing a little pink pill will never solve any of these issues.
 

Couples are terrified of the elephant in the room that is not wanting sex, presuming it will be too difficult to discuss.
 

It would be a lie to say it is easy, but couples who do face these problems often find they end up closer as a result.

If you are baffled about where to start, you can speak to your GP about a referral to a relationship councillor and advice about finding private help.

Taking drugs in the first instance is not the answer.

Most of us have limitations, depending on age, physical ability or tight schedules.
 

In sexual psychology we don't care how many times you do it a week, but we care if you enjoy it.
 

Yes, Viagra works, and it has made some, but not all, couples happier.

Flibanserin failed to get approval because it did not produce significant enough results compared to a dummy pill.
 

I am relieved, but it bothers me that the regulators were not concerned by the diagnosis of HSDD itself, which gives the green light for companies to carry on looking for a 'cure'.

Manufacturers know that the idea of popping a pill to get your sex drive back is appealing.
 

I have no doubt that they will succeed in getting such a drug past the regulators.
 

My hope is that, by then, women will realise they don't need it.
 

• Makers Boehringer said: 'Trials showed that Flibanserin therapy was well tolerated and resulted in significant improvements in the hallmark symptoms of HSDD based on patients' perceptions of sexual distress, activity, function and overall benefit.'

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