Her opinion is, once again, clearly biased against pharma and is even snarky in tone throughout her piece. Last time I checked, no one was forcing anyone to participate in a "movement" against their will...any more than the critics were forced to come speak out against an FDA approved medical option.
I still proudly wear my button and scarf, just as others wear pink ribbons, red bracelets, etc...
It is one thing to disagree with what others are passionate about but I don't appreciate those critics distorting facts and pushing their own agenda while insulting and wrongly accusing those that personally are experiencing HSDD, had the wonderful opportunity to have the symptoms alleviated just to later have the rug pulled out from under us.
My mother taught me three valuable lessons early in life:
- Consider the source ( of information - either WHO is giving it or the VALIDITY of it )
- Check you facts ( verify that your information is factually grounded and credible )
- Never attempt to take a spec from someone's eye before I remove the LOG from my own ( do not speak on behalf of someone else when you have not walked in their shoes )
Here's a link to her "opinion" and my response below.
Sex, Lies and the Little Pink Pill
I continue to be stunned by the PDA (public display of
anger) published in media by women with regards to the approval of a drug to
treat low desire in women. From the LA Times to the Washington Post, critics
continue to lash out, grossly distorting facts and misinterpreting intent about
a clinical drug trial on which they were not even a participant. I was raised
on three principals and I feel these critics would do well to follow these
rules: consider the source (of information), check your facts (there is
published data which discredits your claims) and don’t try to speak as an
expert about something for which you are not (if you are suffering with HSDD
but were NOT on the trial, do not attempt to speak about its effects).
The most recent attack came from a woman in Allentown, PA
who was, in fact, a patient panelist at the recent FDA hearings in Silver
Springs, MD… I was also at the meeting as an actual patient on an actual
clinical trial for an actual drug being studied to treat
low desire in women. It is this willful and misguided active opposition to
flibanserin (by someone who has NEVER taken it) which I find distressing.
To say that a pharmaceutical company hopes to “convince
women with sexual problems that a drug called Flibanserin will cure them” is
absurd. . Being one of those women
myself, and being raised here in the Bible belt, I would say the campaign is
geared more toward empowering women to share their experiences and seek
help. We live in a culture where women
are supposed to be soccer moms and June Cleaver, not passionate women who
actually initiate and enjoy a healthy sex life. Most women I know are hesitant
to speak about sex, have bought into the idea that sex after babies is for the
benefit of their husbands and quite frankly, this is wrong. You cannot turn the TV on without seeing a
Viagra or male Low T advertisement.
Informing women that there is a potential therapy that may help
them, to me, is just cause.
The claim
that “Flibanserin has not been shown to have a significant effect relative to
placebo, and there are safety concerns about long-term side effects” is
factually wrong. According to published
trial data, Flibanserin not only demonstrated a highly statistically significant
difference over placebo on three key endpoints but also was well tolerated with
side effects not unlike those found when using Advil. Further, Flibanserin has been studied in over
11,000 women making it one of the most studied women’s health products in
history.
Here’s where I can offer personal perspective. In terms of
the three primary endpoints of the study, I reported YES, YES to YES to all
three! In fact, while on Flibanserin, I
definitely had an increase in my sexual desire, experienced a significant drop
in the distress caused from the loss of sexual desire and happily increased the
frequency of satisfying sex. Who better to ask about the effects of Flbanserin
than my (now) husband? He enjoyed all
the same benefits as I did and will tell you emphatically that the dramatic
change from obligatory sex to my inner kitten initiating sex was like a fruit
cake… it was the gift that kept on giving!
Although Ms. Hicks may have arrived in MD in her 10 year old
car, there were other critics who were compensated to speak out against a
medical option for HSDD. The truth is, I
read about the FDA hearings on twitter and signed up that very day, booked a
hotel and purchased by plane ticket LONG BEFORE eventhescore.org became
involved. My husband and I went because we were lucky enough to have enjoyed
the benefits while I was on the trial. For the record, I, too, had cereal for
breakfast.
The calculation that 5 of the 8 panelists were part of the
PR campaign is exactly what you said… YOUR calculation. Regardless, they were HSDD patients like
yourself so does it even matter? Yes, I am a white, middle class woman in a
stable relationship (at the time of the trial but am now married) who tried off
label testosterone after the flibanserin trial ended, to no avail. Of course women with more serious medical
issues or emotional based relationship issues were excluded from the
trial. If a woman is bouncing from man
to man her lack of desire is more likely rooted in an emotional issue. Lack of desire in the absence of emotional
issues within a stable and happy relationship is true HSDD. A vast majority of
prescription and over the counter drug labels reflect the same disparity. Not many companies are willing to enroll
patients with known medical issues into a clinical trial and logically so! Pregnant women are almost always excluded,
patients with heart troubles, risk for stroke…
I do agree that the use of testosterone by women is
risky. Potentially serious and life
altering side effects can occur but the side effects reported on flibanserin
were nuisance side effects: headache, fatigue, nausea and dry mouth. Further, they were transient and guess
what? Read the product label for ADVIL
which carries the same nuisance side effects but far more potential for serious
adverse events. Consider this. The FDA
just approved a drug for men with curved penises and the number one side
effect? RUPTURED Penis! Seriously? And you are worried about a
headache or a touch of nausea?
Yes, you could give women a little pink heart shaped placebo
pill and it may work for some, for a while.
Same can be said for anti-depressants, weight loss drugs, anti-age skin
creams… almost every drug ever studied shows a high placebo effect in the short
term. But the honeymoon will end which
is why the over the counter industry for libido enhancing products is
booming. Women will pay insane amounts
of money on unfounded, unproven promises of increased desire. They’ll work
temporarily, but soon she is back ordering off the internet or visiting her local
supplement shop for something to help.
God forbid she actually tell anyone!
Lastly, Ms. Hicks, no one will force a woman to get a
prescription and pay for it. You
certainly don’t accuse pharmaceutical companies of forcing men to buy Viagra
which is outrageously expensive. They
buy because they choose to. They make a
decision with their doctor to try an FDA approved medical option. Yes there are risks (blue vision, heart rate
issues…) but the benefits of satisfying sex far outweigh those and at least men
have several choices.
In conclusion, hypoactive sexual desire disorder is a very
real and common condition for women. Perhaps it is a silent disorder because
women are either afraid to talk about it or more importantly, there is no FDA
approved medical option for them.
Therapy may work but for many, like myself, my lack of desire is not
rooted in emotional distress. It causes
emotional distress but having been together for ten years, we are very active
in romancing each other, speaking each other’s love languages and most
importantly still have an insane physical attraction to each other. We are a
well -oiled machine that happens to be missing a spark plug. All the moving parts in order and working,
but that spark would help “start things up”.
All I know is I will be the first in line to get a
prescription when the FDA finally gives its stamp of approval for flibanserin.
That is, if my husband doesn’t beat me to it!
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