Can a woman with sexual dysfunction take sildenafil citrate?

Background: Sexual dysfunction refers to a problem that occurs during the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual from experiencing satisfaction from sexual activity. The assessment of sexual function in women is frequently confounded by many factors, including depressed mood and other comorbid medical and psychiatric disorders. Sildenafil is selective type 5 phosphodiesterase (PDE5) inhibitors, taken orally and effective for men with erectile dysfunction. Previous studies suggested that sildenafil, which acts by inhibiting cyclic GMP specific PDE5 may improve the sexual health of women affected by sexual difficulties such as arousal disorders and may indirectly improve other aspects of sexual life. Sildenafil was effective and well-tolerated in postmenopausal women with sexual arousal disorder without concomitant hypoactive sexual desire disorder or contributory emotional relationship or historical abuse issues.
Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effect of sildenafil citrate on female sexual dysfunction.
Patients and Methods: The study was conducted in Dermatology, Venereology, and Andrology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University Hospitals during the period from April 2017 to August 2018. Fifty-two married female patients were included in this study. Patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 contains twenty-six patients took 50mg sildenafil on-demand and group 2 contains twenty-six patients took a placebo.
Results: There were no significant differences between the studied groups regarding the demographic data and FSFI. There were significant differences between pre and post-treatment of sexual dysfunction regarding group І. There were no significant differences in post-treatment results between the two studied groups as regard sexual dysfunction except in orgasm.
Conclusion: Sildenafil citrate may be effective in women who could not achieve orgasm