"Does It Even Work?": 'Female Viagra' for Low Libido with Dr. Glen Spielmans

A quick fix for low libido in women - sounds like a dream, right? Even for me as a sex therapist!In this episode, I talk with researcher Dr. Glen Spielmans about bremelanotide — a medication approved in the US for low sexual desire in women. On paper, it’s designed to target brain receptors linked to desire. But when you look closely at the trials, the story gets a lot more complicated.We get into:How the “statistically significant” results in the trials were actually very small, and why that matters for real-life changeWhat happened when outcome measures were switched after the study was finished — and how that made the drug look more effective than it really wasWhy so many participants dropped out, and what those high dropout rates tell us about tolerability and side effects like nauseaHow measuring something as complex as desire with just two survey questions misses the bigger picture entirelyAnd why solutions for low desire rarely come from quick fixes alone, especially when the underlying issues run deeperThe study discussed in this episode is Small Effects, Questionable Outcomes: Bremelanotide for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder by Spielmans & Ellefson, published in The Journal of Sex Research.Timestamps:00:29 Meet Dr. Glenn Spielmans – The Truth-Seeker01:47 The “Desire Drug”: What Is It Really Supposed to Do?05:26 How Does This Drug Actually Work? (And Does It?)08:12 Can You Trust the Science? A Peek Behind the Curtain12:00 Does It Really Help? The Real-World Results15:53 Why Did the FDA Approve This?20:00 Measuring Desire: Why It’s So Much Harder Than You Think24:21 Is Anyone Actually Using This Drug?28:01 Controversy, Criticism, and Calling Out the Industry41:33 A Sex Therapist Take: My Thoughts On What This All Means for You, Free Resources & Where to Get HelpDownload the free Desire Test here. Interested in my services? Check them out hereJoin my 1:1 online program Re:Desire here.Do you want to submit a listener question for the podcast? Here's the link