LAGGING libidos could get a lift from a new hormone injection, which boosted the sexual appetites of both men and women in recent clinical trials! Researchers from Imperial College London found treatments with kisspeptin — which is naturally produced by the body and stimulates the release of other reproductive hormones — had a positive impact on patients with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD).

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HSDD occurs when a subpar sex drive triggers psychological distress, and the condition affects up to 10 percent of women and one in 12 men.

Study author Dr. Alexander Comninos says HSDD can have “a major detrimental impact on relationships, mental health and fertility.” He explains the few existing treatment options for gals can have significant side effects and limited effectiveness — and there are currently no licensed treatments for men. “There is a real unmet need to find new, safer and more effective therapies for this distressing condition,” Comninos notes. “Our studies provide proof-of-concept for the development of kisspeptin treatments.” The team’s two trials — the first to explore kisspeptin’s potential to stimulate sexual pathways in people with flagging desire — involved 32 premenopausal women aged between 19 and 48, and 32 men between 21 and 52, who all had HSDD.

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Every participant underwent brain MRI imaging, as well as blood and behavioral tests. Following administration of the injections, all reported positive increases in their sexual behavior!

In the first study, the team noticed kisspeptin improved sexual and attraction brain activity in the female subjects, who reported feeling “more sexy” during treatment. In the second trial, which involved the men, researchers found penile rigidity increased by up to 56 percent for participants using the medication, and the guys also saw a rise in their “happiness about sex.”

The team says the findings are “highly encouraging” as both male and female subjects experienced increased arousal and attraction. Larger studies are now planned to develop kisspeptin as a treatment for anyone dealing with sexual disorders caused by unexplained low libido.

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