October is Menopause Awareness Month.
You’ve probably heard of a little blue pill called Viagra that’s prescribed to men with erectile dysfunction.
But can you name a treatment for sexual arousal disorder that is specifically for women?
NO?
Although up to half of all women worldwide suffer from female sexual dysfunction, we rarely talk about it and treatments are certainly not a household word.
Sabrina Johnson wants to change that.
As founder, president and CEO of Daré Bioscience, Johnson and her team are behind the first vaginal cream clinically proven to increase genital flow and arousal in people with Female Sexual Arousal Disorder (FSAD).
DARE to PLAY arousal cream will be available later this year and is just one of the products focused exclusively on women’s health that Daré Bioscience is working on.
Of course we wanted to know everything. We spoke with Johnson about her passion for innovation in women’s health and how people can get their hands on the new arousal cream.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
HealthyWomen: DARE to PLAY is a “first of its kind female arousal cream.” What makes it unique?
Sabrina Johnson: First and foremost, it is specifically designed for women, which is unique.
But to take a step back, it is a topical sildenafil cream. Sildenafil is the same active ingredient that men have had access to for nearly three decades in oral erectile dysfunction medications, particularly Viagra.
So, by delivering sildenafil locally – directly to the genital tissue – we are able to stimulate blood flow in the exact area most important to arousal in women and avoid systemic exposure. This is very unique in itself, but I think the most important thing is that it is actually backed by science.
We evaluated the formulation in the first-ever, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study for the topical treatment of female sexual arousal disorder and submitted the results to the FDA. This was a large study of 200 women who experienced symptoms of arousal disorder, i.e. reduced and lost sensations and frustration with the symptoms. The results showed that the side effect with the sildenafil cream was very similar to the placebo cream – so there are no serious concerns, which is great.
Most importantly, it showed that women who used the product experienced increased feelings of genital arousal – which was the key thing we were looking for – but also improved sexual desire and orgasm, as well as reduced feelings of sexual distress.
It’s very exciting. It’s a science-based approach that’s finally available to women. And I think because we don’t talk about it, we forget that it’s a condition that affects millions of women and for which there has been no real innovation.
Read: Yes, middle-aged women want to have sex >>
HW: Can anyone try the Sildenafil cream?
Johnson: Since this is a prescription product, women will want and need to speak to their doctor to obtain it. This is important because arousal problems can have many causes – physical, hormonal, psychological, relational and also, although the safety profile has been established, sildenafil is the active ingredient, so healthcare providers can help women ensure it is the right product for them.
We definitely see Sildenafil cream as an important tool for women who have difficulty with sexual arousal, and especially for people for whom increasing genital blood flow may be important.
The product won’t be available for prescription until later this year, but people can get more information on the website now and talk to their healthcare providers to find out if it’s right for them once it’s available.
HW: As the founder of Daré Bioscience, why was sildenafil cream an important product for you to support?
Johnson: When I founded Daré Bioscience, we really wanted to build a company that focused on the areas of unmet need in women’s health that had been overlooked in the past, and sexual health immediately stood out because there is so much need. It is so widespread and yet so invisible at the same time.
When I saw the opportunity to take such a well-known and understood drug but use it in a new way and give it locally to women, I immediately realized that this could be a real breakthrough.
It’s rare to find innovations that are both based on solid science and have the potential to truly change cultural conversations. This product is both.
As a company, we wanted to commit to this immediately. It represents everything we want to achieve as a company.
HW: What was your inspiration to start the company?
Johnson: I am a woman and have always believed that women deserve better when it comes to healthcare. I’ve seen firsthand that our needs – women’s needs – are too often treated as secondary or an afterthought, and I’ve seen this in the pharmaceutical industry, where new drugs come from.
The pharmaceutical industry was on the rise, and I really wanted to create a company that would work where women’s health was a priority – not the exception.
It wasn’t easy. It meant being brave. We chose the name Daré, because “dare” means being brave enough to tackle areas like sexual health that others might shy away from, as well as contraception and menopause.
The inspiration was actually quite simple: every woman deserves good options. We deserve a science designed with trust in mind, and we wanted to make that change.
HW: Why do you think women’s sexual health is so severely underserved?
Johnson: It’s so frustrating because sexual health has historically been neglected in both frontline research and drug development.
I think a big part of it is cultural taboos and the taboos surrounding women’s sexual function. In general, there is a bias in medical innovation towards male diseases – more men are included in research than women.
And that led us to the fact I just talked about – there have been FDA-approved treatments for erectile dysfunction since the ’90s, while women still don’t have an approved treatment for arousal disorders.
I think a paradigm shift really requires amplifying women’s voices, investing in research and ensuring that women’s health is considered a priority. It’s not a niche – it’s a priority.
HW: What advice do you have for women on how to prioritize their own health?
Johnson: Part of this is giving ourselves permission. We often care about others and tend to put ourselves last or feel like focusing on our health is selfish or self-centered. But that’s not it. Our health is fundamental.
The other part of it is the confidence to just speak up. We are sometimes ashamed not to talk about the symptoms we experience, or to dismiss or downplay them because they are a normal part of life from a young age – when you get menstrual cramps, you just have to deal with them.
And also the feeling that it’s okay – our voice counts and we don’t have to settle if we don’t get the answers we want.
There are many healthcare providers who care about ensuring women receive the treatment options they want and deserve. And if you feel a healthcare provider isn’t listening to you or makes you uncomfortable, there are many others who will take you seriously and get you the care you deserve.
HW: What’s in the works at Daré – or what do you see happening in the women’s health space – that has you particularly excited (no pun intended) among consumers?
Johnson: Overall, I’m pleased that we’re finally seeing momentum. Those kinds of conversations that you’re having all the time, of course, but from investors, from policymakers, from political voters – there are a lot more conversations about treating women’s health as health care and as an important part of health care.
At Daré specifically, as I said, we really try to focus on the areas where there is the greatest unmet need. In addition to the DARE to PLAY cream, I’m also excited about Ovaprene, which could be the first hormone-free monthly birth control option. Ovaprene is something we’ve never had before and there’s a lot of demand for it.
I am also very excited about the work we are doing on human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus that causes cervical cancer, and we are exploring a new innovation that has the potential to treat the virus before it can spread.
HW: One last question. What is your favorite topic at a party: Truth or Dare?
Definitely dare. How can I choose differently? It’s what we do as a company – we do different things – and being different is at the core of who I am. So, definitely go for it.
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