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Depression, relationship problems and side effects of medications all have been known to dampen desire, but many women lose interest in sex when none of those factors provides a convenient explanation. Pharmaceutical companies are testing drugs they hope will banish hypoactive sexual desire disorder (the clinical term for reduced interest in sex), and help millions of women return to an active and enjoyable sex life. Eleven Rogue Valley women are currently enrolled in a trial of one of those experimental drugs that's being conducted through the OB-GYN Center at Providence Medford Medical Center. The trial includes 600 women from across the United States, said Dr. Alan Palamara, a gynecologist who's supervising the trial at Providence. Palamara said hypoactive sexual desire disorder is far more common than many people realize, and may affect 20 to 50 percent of American women. The true scope of the problem can be difficult to measure because desire is a subjective phenomenon. Palamara said a number of women contacted his office to enroll in the study, but many were disqualified because the manufacturer wanted to test the drug only on women who had no obvious reason to have lost interest in sexual intimacy. "We had to do a lot of screening to eliminate relationship problems, drug effects and depression," Palamara said. To be enrolled in the study women had to be pre-menopausal and have been in a monogamous heterosexual relationship for at least a year. The women who qualified will take the drug for up to 18 months and keep a daily diary in which they describe any sexual activity as well as any thoughts about sex. "Most of them are not having intercourse," he said, "or if they are, it's out of a feeling of needing to satisfy their partner." Palamara said they one factor that all the women had in common was that they had no explanation for their loss of interest in sex. "To a person they had no idea," he said. "They were more frustrated than their partners were." "It's a hard thing to deal with," said a woman enrolled in the study who spoke to the Mail Tribune on the condition that her name not be disclosed. "I'm fortunate to have a husband who understands." The 33-year-old woman, who lives in Central Point, said her interest in sex seems to have started to fade about four years ago, after she gave birth. "It's something you feel gradually come on. Once it's there, you feel a need to do something about it." She said contemporary movie and television portrayals of women as active sexual beings makes her condition more difficult to accept. "You see how sexual women are (in the media), and when you're not that way you feel like you need to fix it." She said she seems to be feeling more interested in sex after two months of taking the drug, and that she has been more active sexually, too. "It's not drastic," she said, "but I do notice a change." Palamara said in the past men's sexual problems have drawn more attention from physicians, scientists and pharmaceutical manufacturers than those of women, but that disparity seems to be diminishing. Pharmaceutical companies "are starting to realize (lack of sexual desire in women) is a big problem," he said. "They're starting to put some resources into seeing whether there is something that could improve it." The OB-GYN Center will be conducting a trial for another drug for the same condition in August. Women who want to participate can call 732-7433 for information. Enrollees must be premenopausal and have a history of reduced sexual desire. They must not be taking antidepressants or anti-anxiety medicines, and must have been in a stable, monogamous, heterosexual relationship for at least a year. Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492 or e-mail: [email protected] Advertisement s Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems California Casinos Men's Clothing Southern Oregon Loans --> GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Entertainment Guide --> Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews