(July 22, 2008 - Insidermedicine) Viagra may also be helpful for women suffering from sexual dysfunction related to use of antidepressants, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Here are some facts about female sexual dysfunction and antidepressants:

•    As many as 30 to 70% of women taking the serotonin reuptake inhibitor class of antidepressants suffer from sexual dysfunction.

•    Sexual dysfunction associated with SRI use includes symptoms such as orgasm delay, inability to achieve orgasm, or lack of arousal.

•    Sexual dysfunction is a major reason why people stop taking their antidepressants, which can lead to a relapse in symptoms of depression.

Researchers from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine randomly assigned nearly 100 women taking SRIs whose depression was in remission but who were suffering from sexual dysfunction to treatment with Viagra or a placebo. The women took the medication one to two hours before anticipated sexual interaction, for eight weeks.

While 73% of the women taking a placebo reported that their treatment was not effective, only 28% of those taking Viagra did so. Clinicians’ reports revealed that the women taking Viagra had a greater improvement in their symptoms of sexual dysfunction than did those on placebo.

We had a chance to speak with Dr. George Nurnberg from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine who offered some further insight.

Today’s research demonstrates that Viagra is effective not only in men but also in women who are experiencing sexual dysfunction as a result of use of SRI antidepressants.

For Insidermedicine in Depth, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.