Double Standards, Everywhere

Recently, yet another attempt to distribute a pill treating women's sex issues has been shot down by the FDA. The promise of a drug that makes sex desirable for women continues to fall on the question of whether female sexual dysfunction is "mental" or "physical."

Many people contend that for women, their dysfunction is mentally based. In other words, they have other psychological issues going on, and it is those issues that are responsible for her not wanting sex or not desiring sex physically. Her problem is not functional, as the argument goes. Since it's not physical, it shouldn't be treated physically...i.e. with a magic pill.

For men, it's different. A man having "erection problems" is simply a lack of physical function. It has nothing to do with anything mental. It's the opposite of what's going on with women. A man can take a pill, get hard, and thrust away in complete ecstasy.

Like really?

The irony of all of this is that it is women who have a harder time with sex. They have a harder time becoming physically stimulated--lubrication of the vagina. They have a harder time orgasming. And, they have a harder time wanting to have sex every day. Simply put, their problems with sex are quite magnified in comparison with men. Yet, the men have the magic pill.

The idea of a woman taking a pill to make her clitoris swell with desire seems too far fetched to be a reality. Women need counseling--they need extensive treatment--they have a bunch of problems they need fixed.

Let's take a look at the vicious circle of a woman's low sex drive: Woman A has sex with man, man has great time and orgasms while she has an okay time and does not. Man wants more sex because it is very pleasurable for him. Women is getting tired of doing something that is not really worth the trouble. Woman is diagnosed with sexual dysfunction...man gets Viagra because he has a "problem."

If we were to increase blood flow to the clitoris, thereby making sex physically stimulating, the woman would actually enjoy what she is doing with the man, would perhaps orgasm---and would want to have sex more often as a result.

Perhaps we have it backwards. Shouldn't the women be getting the pills and men the psychological treatment? We can only hope to bring to light the double standard that continues to exist with the idea of having a magic pill for women to get their sex lives back on track.