Female sex drive problems still a mystery

CLEVELAND, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- U.S. medical experts have been unable to find an approved and successful medication that will help a woman overcome a marked drop in sexual drive.

While testosterone products have been embraced overseas, related products have failed to gain approval in the United States because of arguments against their effectiveness and safety, the Cleveland Plain Dealer said Wednesday.

With such proposed medical treatments failing to gain approval from the Food and Drug Administration, women suffering from sexual dysfunction have been left with few options.

Psychiatrist Dr. Susan Rako, who wrote the book "The Hormone of Desire," has become a champion for testosterone-based products for female sexual dysfunction.

She says that stereotypes about testosterone's effects on women, along with the FDA's stance on the hormone's use for such treatments, are the key roadblocks.

"People used to think that if you gave testosterone to women, you turned them into men," she told the newspaper.

"The problem has been that the FDA has not identified testosterone deficiency as a state that needs to be treated," she added.