Over–the-counter didn’t help in bedroom
Submitted by: Marc Gittelman
Submitted on: August 15, 2006
Q: My wife and I have been having trouble in bed. We love each other and when we were younger sex was never a problem. Now I have problems with making love and my wife has decreased sensitivity. We have tried vitamins, creams, and other “quick fixes,” but none has provided any real relief. What do you recommend?
A: There are hundreds of over-the-counter remedies for women and men that have come and gone over the decades. With nearly 30 percent and more than 35 percent of women experiencing sexual issues, it is no wonder that entrepreneurs spend millions advertising products that have been scientifically proven to improve sexuality for either men or women.
For products to be approved by the Federal Drug Administration for over-the-counter status, the manufacturer needs to prove only the safety of the product is effective. For products to be approved for medication level status, the product goes through rigorous and expensive testing that allows the FDA to determine whether the medication really works in the area that the manufacturer states that it should.
Despite the hundreds of products touted to help sexuality, very few of them have ever been proven to work. Of course the advertisements always come with statements of how wonderful the product is and how many successes there have been. To make matters more complicated, virtually every product has a potential placebo effect. About 25 percent to 35 percent of those people who are told they are taking a sexual aid, and who are actually taking a placebo, will respond that they had a significantly better sexual response.
The bottom line is that you cannot believe everything you read and hear, especially if it is not backed up by good medical evidence. My recommendation is to seek good medical advice. Many people are too shy or embarrassed to talk about sex with their physician. However, this first step is likely to point you in the direction of products that have been medically proven to help men and women from a sexual standpoint.