Women Taking Viagra Despite Inconclusive Studies

Jet, August 3, 1998

Doctors say a growing number of women are taking the anti-impotence drug Viagra despite the lack of studies that prove it will amplify female sexual response.

"I've heard reports from all around the country of doctors prescribing it off-label to women," Dr. John Bancroft, director of the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex Gender and Reproduction told USA Today.

The pill, approved by the FDA in March for men, increases blood flow to the penis, which can help men attain erections. Preliminary studies suggest it might promote arousal in women.

Once a drug is approved for one use, doctors can legally prescribe it "off-label" for an unapproved use. However, FDA certifies it safe and effective only in treating conditions for which it has been tested.

Trials are under way in Europe, but Viagra hasn't been proven safe or effective for women yet, says the drug's maker, Pfizer Inc. There is also no proof that the drug does not hinder fertility or cause birth defects.

But that has not stopped women from trying it.

For instance in Minneapolis, 16 women were prescribed Viagra by obstetrician/gynecologist Mario Petrini of the Park Nicollet Clinic. Fourteen reported improved sexual response. Six women in Chicago have taken the pill through a study at Loyola University medical Center. Three have reported better sexual response.