So I just learned that female Viagra exists (Addyi and Vyleesi), and there is something called "Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder". The more research I do the more conflicted I am about the whole thing. Primarily females are diagnosed, and it is when they are in distress over their low sex drive. As a therapist who is getting more comfortable with their asexuality and a niche in mental health/trauma, I just don't know how to process this. It bothers me and I don't really understand why.
I was going to delete this ask because it’s in the FAQ and that’s the rule. However, you are an asexual therapist?
Q: What’s wrong with flibanserin/addyi/“female Viagra”
A: You can see a collection of articles here. There’s a bunch in that tag from my favorite article on the matter to mentions of an asexual task force 4 years ago that was like whoa whoa why are targeting us with your marketing here?
If you’d like to learn the history of this beyond just Addyi there is a documentary called Orgasm Inc on Netflix. It’s from 2009, but it gives you backstory long before the Addyi problem. The documentary is sexual in nature so beware of that, but does have some gems like the following. The clearest example of corporate sponsored creation of disease is female sexual dysfunction. - Ray Moynihan, British Medical Journal.
Addyi at least (I’m not versed with Vyleesi) was a once a day pill, that had a high bar of don’t do other things while on this and a very low bar of added sexual encounters while on it. (I think it was +2 every month) It was also only to be used on a young population and when loss of sex drive is reported and not linked to another problems is most often reporter older people which this was not made to help.
I’d also like to link you to the asexual related DSM post I have that mentioned how in 2013 “*If Asexual Does Not Apply” marker was added. Which even the phrasing makes me worry “What if they don’t know the label? What if they hate their asexuality?” But you’d know the common phrasing of it better than me.
I think it is you absolutely your place and your due diligence as an asexual therapist to be bothered by this until you know acephobia isn’t being spread in the name of mental health.
I wasn’t on the task force, but I know people who were so let me know if you want to discuss it more with me or with you want me to reach out to them to connect you.
