Is there a Viagra for women, and how does it work?

Not in Australia. "Viagra is not for use by females. If you have heard about 'female Viagra', it is probably referring to a medicine called flibanserin (also known by its brand name, Addyi)." Flibanserin "has been approved in the United States to treat premenopausal females who have low sexual desire", but "Flibanserin is not an approved prescription medicine in Australia", and it can interact with other medicines and supplements, "causing potentially serious side effects" (healthdirect). It is aimed at desire, which Viagra does not touch: Viagra helps blood flow into the penis and "will not increase your sex drive" (Viagra CMI). The questions have their own pages: is there a Viagra for women, and how does it work?, is there a female equivalent of Viagra?, what is the female version of Viagra called? and what is the "pink pill"?

Be wary of "female Viagra" sold online. healthdirect says there are "limited medicine options to treat low libido in females", and that products sold online for "low libido" or "sexual enhancement" "may contain undeclared prescription medicines or harmful ingredients" (healthdirect): is there a Viagra for women?

Can women take Cialis (tadalafil)?

Not for sex: "CIALIS is not intended for use by women" (Cialis CMI), and the European label says it is not indicated for use by women (EMA product information). Women do take tadalafil for a different disease: as Adcirca, it treats adults and children from 2 years of age with pulmonary arterial hypertension, high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs (EMA) — a specialist treatment, not a sexual one. More in can women take tadalafil (Cialis), and what does it do?

Is female Viagra the same as male Viagra?

No — they are different medicines for different problems. Viagra is sildenafil, a PDE5 inhibitor that helps the blood vessels in the penis relax and needs sexual stimulation to work; flibanserin, the medicine usually meant by "female Viagra", is for low sexual desire (healthdirect). A product sold online as "Viagra for women" that contains sildenafil is the same medicine as Viagra — and "VIAGRA is not for use in women" (Viagra CMI). More in is female Viagra the same as male Viagra?

Can women take Viagra safely?

Viagra is not approved for women: the Australian leaflet says it "is not for use in women", and the European label that it "is not indicated for use by women" (EMA product information). The same medicine carries the same risks whoever takes it — headache, indigestion, dizziness, flushing and a stuffy nose are common, and with nitrates or some blood-pressure medicines it can cause "a sudden drop in your blood pressure that is hard to treat" (healthdirect). Sildenafil does have one use in women: under another trade name, Revatio, it treats pulmonary arterial hypertension (healthdirect). More in can women take Viagra safely? and does Viagra work for women?

What is "female impotence", and what causes it?

Women's sexual problems are about desire, orgasm or pain rather than erections, and each has causes a doctor can look for. healthdirect groups them as loss of libido, difficulty reaching orgasm, painful sex and vaginismus (healthdirect). "Low libido is the most common sexual concern in females": it can come from hormone changes around perimenopause or menopause, some contraception, pregnancy or breastfeeding, from stress and relationship problems, from medical conditions and from some medicines, including medicines for anxiety or depression. See a doctor if it causes distress or has lasted 6 months or more; treatment depends on the cause and can include counselling, cognitive behaviour therapy and, around menopause, hormone therapy (healthdirect). More in what are the causes and symptoms of female sexual dysfunction?

Painful sex "can have physical, emotional or psychological causes" — vaginismus, where the pelvic floor muscles tighten involuntarily, is one of the leading ones, alongside vaginal dryness, infections and conditions such as endometriosis; see your doctor if sex is often painful (healthdirect): what causes painful sex?

Can Viagra be taken during pregnancy?

It is not a pregnancy medicine. Viagra is not indicated for women, and "There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant or breast-feeding women" (EMA product information). Where sildenafil is prescribed for high blood pressure in the lungs, as Revatio, the label says: "Due to lack of data, Revatio should not be used in pregnant women unless strictly necessary". Animal studies showed no direct harm to pregnancy or to the unborn baby's development, but did show toxicity to development after birth (EMA — Revatio product information). What is known about birth defects is on its own page: can Viagra be taken in pregnancy, and can it cause birth defects?

Can a man with erectile dysfunction get a woman pregnant?

It can still happen: erectile dysfunction is a problem with erections, not with fertility. healthdirect says erectile dysfunction "does not include problems with" ejaculation, fertility or sex drive (healthdirect), and Healthy Male notes that "You can have an orgasm and ejaculate without an erection" (Healthy Male). The full answer is in can a man with erectile dysfunction get a woman pregnant?; sperm questions in can erectile dysfunction cause a low sperm count? and does sildenafil affect sperm and fertility? Treatment for the man is in our guide to erectile dysfunction: causes, symptoms and treatment.

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