Faculty Bibliography

To date, the Food and Drug Administration has not approved the mighty Blue Diamond for women's use. Clinical trials of both Viagra and of Vasomax, a new oral medication, are only now in the early investigational phases needed for approval. "I'm absolutely against women indiscriminately using the medication," says Laura A. Berman, a sex therapist at the Boston University Medical Center. Along with her sister Jennifer, a urologist and director of the new Women's Sexual Health Clinic, Berman is now evaluating women of all ages from around the country who complain of sexual dysfunction. Viagra and other drugs in the rapidly growing sexual medicine armamaterium - such as testosterone and estrogen and, eventually, Viagra-like topical gels and creams - relax the arteries and allow more blood to flow to the genitals, where it's needed. With more blood comes increased sensitivity, even for post-menopausal women and those who have had hysterectomies

These are not just pill formulations that a man gulps down with a glass of water; indeed, some of the novel drugs being tested include gels and creams (tasteless, most likely. Flavored? We don't know.) that are rubbed into the penis. There are also "needle-less" and "painless" injectable medications. Bill Gates, Microsoft's CEO, currently has a sizable interest in Icos, a Bothell, Wash., company that's developing a medication similar to Viagra. Approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), however, could be years away. While many of these men can be helped by Viagra, it's estimated that of the men 50 years of age and older with heart ailments, approximately 10 to 20 men per million will die (without taking Viagra or any other prosexual) during sexual intercourse. Still, the FDA considers Viagra to be a very safe medication and should be readily prescribed to men who need it and can safely use it. If you're considering Viagra, be sure to first have a thorough cardiovascular assessment

Lamm and Couzens discuss the cure for fatigue: activity. Exercise fights fatigue, reduces the risk of heart disease, obesity, osteoporosis, and some cancers

Lamm and Couzens discuss impotence and some of the new medication that can help with the problem. More and more, impotence is occurring in younger men due to stress