Good Sex: Is a Pill All it Takes?

You could be forgiven for thinking that a pill is all it takes for a great sex life. Regular advertising through all forms of media tell you so constantly. The majority of we New Zealanders are not given a good sex education to prepare us to be lovers (never mind intimate partners) with the result that any information can be gratefully received. It’s difficult to develop discernment if you’re not in possession of all the facts and you haven’t learned to trust your own wisdom.

Reading a morning newspaper when on holiday recently I discovered that interspersed with news of all the horrific things people do to each other on a local, national and international level is masses of advertising. In a prominent spot on page 3 I saw ads offering “sex for life”. Was that a trade off, I wondered? No further information about the services was provided other than the claim that this clinic offered the best service for the best prices and were willing to match any “genuine male clinic” quotation.

The illustration was perhaps intended to say it all: a beautiful smiling young couple draped around each other dressed in their bathrobes. Interesting choice given that erectile dysfunction caused by any physical health problem is extremely rare in that age group. Perhaps we gullible middle aged and older readers are meant to form the impression that we too could look that young and gorgeous if we just took the right drug. Or maybe the trick is if you have enough sex you too could look like that!

Another advertisement offers more information. If you suffer from weak erections, low libido, weight issues, signs of depression or tiredness then this is the clinic for you. This is a list of symptoms that most middle aged and older men would definitely relate to at some times. Take out the erections bit and most middle aged and older women would also relate to such experiences. And there-in lies the danger or, I guess if I was a marketer of pharmaceutical products I could say there-in lies the opportunity.

Now the medicalisation of sexuality has taken a new turn. Since the deregulation of the pharmaceutical industry allowing drug advertisements on TV we have regularly been instructed that sex centres around the penis so it is crucial to have an erection whenever you want one. But Viagra and its equivalents are now having to move over out of the limelight somewhat as testosterone takes the stage in being offered as the latest aphrodisiac. I’m not sure if this drug is being advertised on television yet but if not, watch that space.

Some facts: both men’s and women’s bodies produce testosterone. As we age our bodies produce this hormone in gradually diminishing quantities. It is one of the hormones that impacts on sexual drive. Many other factors also impact on sexual drive: health, energy levels, feelings towards your partner, attitude towards sex. Some people can have extremely high testosterone levels and have no interest in being sexual. Others can have a very healthy sex life and low testosterone levels. Clearly sexual drive is a sophisticated phenomenon that will not be managed solely by the administration of a drug.

Studies, funded of course by pharmaceutical companies, are being published in the international sex therapy journals at an increasing frequency. The results are inconsistent: some show an improvement in some parameters with testosterone regardless of natural levels of this hormone; others show that only those who have very low natural testosterone levels improve with the drug.

None of the studies are yet able to show the long term effects of having this hormone added to the body artificially. Most of the research projects have small numbers of subjects and all have those who drop out before the study is complete due to such factors as unwanted excess hair growth in women, mood changes and the pain of receiving testosterone injections.

I haven’t yet seen a study carried out with the optimum methodology: double blind. This involves neither the researchers nor the subjects knowing who is getting the real drug and who is getting the ‘sugar pill’. Without this the effect of subjects and researchers wanting the drug to make improvements can be influencing the results. An excellent example of how powerful this expectancy effect can be is that it was revealed in the Viagra trials that 24% of the men who had been diagnosed with a physically caused erectile dysfunction were able to get an erection on a placebo.

I don’t have a problem with men and women using drugs when they’re necessary. We’re incredibly fortunate to live in an age when there are effective medical treatments for some illnesses that have killed or debilitated previous generations. However gaps in people’s understandings about sexuality create difficulties in deciding whether or not a drug is actually needed for sexual concerns.

Anyone dissatisfied in any way with how they are expressing their sexuality needs first to look further than a pill. Read Bernie Zilbergeld’s New Male Sexuality or Rosie King’s Good Sex Great Loving for a start. There are a range of books on women’s sexuality but none I would particularly recommend. If you’re in relationship talk to your partner in positive terms about what you’d like to change and what you’re prepared to do towards that. Keep in mind that if this isn’t productive, just as you would take your car to a technician if you can’t get it running smoothly, there are professionals who can help you develop an intimate sexual relationship that you feel great about.

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Robyn Salisbury is a clinical psychologist and Director of Sex Therapy New Zealand, a referral network. Those seeking professional help with any sexual matter should contact Referrals Manager Kerryn on 0800 sex therapy (0800 739843) or visit www.sextherapy.co.nz

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