Viagra may work for women, too

In matters of desire, however, not much help

"It is the ultimate inhibitor of sexual function," Goldstein said, noting that a third of women who come to him with sexual problems are taking SSRIs.

The study examined 98 volunteers, all taking the antidepressants, who were evenly divided into two groups. One group received Viagra, the other a placebo. The researchers found that only a quarter of the women taking the placebo reported improvement with treatment, compared with 72 percent of women taking Viagra.

Hensley said she has tried Viagra on a few of her female patients. "I think it's worth a try. It's a pretty benign drug. It's either going to work or it's not," she said.

But the drug is not approved by the FDA for use in women, and insurance companies often don't cover it. So Hensley prescribes it less because it costs patients so much.

Several companies are now working on drugs that target female sexual problems, particularly decreased sexual desire. Both Derogatis and Goldstein said they expect some to win FDA approval.

"In five years," Derogatis said, "you will have several female drugs on the market."

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