Placebo can increase your sense of sexuality

Placebo boosts libido of women

Study: The use of placebo without a medicinal substance can increase the sexual sensitivity of women.

The mere belief in the benefits of medication can help to cure illnesses. A US study has now found that the sexual desire (libido) of women can be increased with the addition of placebo. So-called placebos contain no medical active ingredients, yet drug-free medicines are used thousands of times a day in clinics with success.

Many doctors and therapists do not like to talk about the benefits of placebo. And rightly so, because the hoped-for effect could be jeopardized if physicians talk too often about it. According to a survey conducted in 2004 among medical professionals and nurses, more than half of the placebo users use in everyday therapeutic practice. A third of them believe that placebo actually works, and 61% of users occasionally see a desired effect. Drug-free medicines are mainly used for dizziness, anxiety, difficulty falling asleep, drug addiction, inner restlessness, tooth growth and even asthma. For drug companies placebo can even be a problem in comparative studies. Because if agents without active ingredient work better than the new drug actually under investigation, drug manufacturers come in explanations.

Sex therapists and researchers from the University of Texas (University of Texas Austin) have explored the effects of placebos on women's sexual aversion. The participants of the study suffered from chronic sexual aversion and disturbances of excitation. In total, 200 women took part in the three-month study. Study leader Andrea Bradford evaluated a so-called double-blind study. A majority of the subjects took a drug preparation, 50 women, however, took dummy medications. The result amazed even the researchers: every third study participant who received a drug-free drug, reported a significant improvement in their own sexual life. The participants stated that they felt more excited. In addition, women slept more often with their partner, the number of fulfilling sexual contacts increased.

In the US journal "Journal of Sexual Medicine", the sex researchers emphasized that all subjects could talk with psychologists about their sexual problems and feelings. In addition, all study participants should closely monitor their sexuality and their feelings. Probably these two aspects have also led to the positive result. Simply fixing it to a problem and talking about it can effectively contribute to problem solving. So does the study director Dr. Andrea Bradford: "Participation in the study was likely to lead to some important discussions". Taking time to talk to women about their problems and feelings is likely to support the positive effects of placebos. A conversation and listening therefore has a great benefit. Naturopathy knows that: Treaters take a lot of time and discuss in detail all health problems. (sb, 20.09.2010)

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