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For nearly three decades, Viagra has helped men rise to the occasion.
The little blue pill increases blood flow to the penis, making it easier to get and keep erections.
But women have been left out in the cold, with no real pharmaceutical fix for low libido — until now. In a sultry twist, Viagra’s secret sauce has been reimagined to boost women’s arousal.
Daré Bioscience on Wednesday launched Dare to Play, a first-of-its-kind prescription cream designed to enhance blood flow to female genital tissue.
The topical treatment — which contains sildenafil, the same active ingredient in Viagra — is filling a long-overlooked need. Studies show that women experience sexual dysfunction as much as men, and it can be treated with similar drug mechanisms, said Sabrina Martucci Johnson, president and CEO of Daré Bioscience.
“We have this scientific evidence that sildenafil as an active ingredient can work if only it were designed and formulated specifically with women in mind,” Johnson told The Post, “and that’s really then where we came into the equation.”
Research indicates that over 40% of women experience some form of sexual dysfunction, with arousal difficulties a common complaint.
The problem — known formally as female sexual interest/arousal disorder (FSIAD) — could arise from several issues, including hormonal changes from pregnancy or menopause, stress, medication use, diabetes, depression or even past sexual abuse.
To combat FSIAD, women might try psychotherapy, stress reduction techniques or the medication flibanserin, which works by balancing the brain chemicals serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine to enhance sexual desire.
Dare to Play targets the physical, rather than the mental, symptoms of FSIAD by helping blood vessels in the clitoris and vulva relax and open, increasing genital blood flow and improving lubrication and swelling responses.
“It’s the blood flow that goes to the genital tissue that causes tingling, warmth, engorgement,” Johnson explained. “It actually is what leads to the lubrication response in arousal in women, because that’s all mediated from the blood flow to the tissue.”
Dare to Play has been in the works for many years. Early research showed sildenafil could potentially help women with sexual dysfunction, as Viagra has helped men, Johnson said.
But a female pill would require a lot of sildenafil, much higher doses than men need, making that option “just not practical,” she added.
Daré Bioscience spent about a decade developing a fast-absorbing product that could quickly, easily and safely meet the needs of women — no muss, no fuss.
Dare to Play is said to work 10 to 15 minutes after being applied to the genital area.
In clinical trials, Daré Bioscience found that arousal, desire and orgasms improved with Dare to Play, and there were no side effects compared to a placebo cream. It was even tested in oral sex situations.
Common Viagra side effects, which are typically mild and temporary, generally include headaches, flushness, indigestion, vision problems and nasal congestion.
“You’re really not seeing any of the side effects that you might see with like a Viagra that are sildenafil side effects because of the way we’re delivering the product topically, just right where she needs it, so you’re not getting that systemic exposure,” Johnson said.
But just like Viagra, Dare to Play is not for everyone. Women with heart conditions or an active herpes outbreak should avoid use.
The good news is that you don’t need an official FSIAD diagnosis to get the prescription from your doctor.
Daré Bioscience is collaborating with a telehealth provider through its dispensing pharmacy, Medvantx, that can write a script for women with any arousal difficulties.
Dare to Play, which has a shelf life of four years, is being offered as a compounded drug manufactured at an FDA-registered 503B outsourcing facility.
Residents of Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Utah can pre-order it now. Prescriptions are expected to be filled in all US states in early 2026.
Daré Bioscience is also pursuing full FDA approval.
“Last summer, our data [was] published about the studies that have been completed, and we started getting really overwhelming requests from women and healthcare providers to make the formulation available,” Johnson said.
“We were able, as a company, to identify a dual-path approach to really meet that demand and meet women where they are,” she continued.
“We can make the product available as a compounded product, but under a specific kind of facility that follows FDA inspection and FDA manufacturing practices and make that available for prescription now, while we continue the process with the FDA.”
Daré Bioscience is working with the FDA on a plan for a Phase 3 study — the 12-week double-blind trial will compare Dare to Play to a placebo cream.
Johnson noted that Viagra has been FDA-approved since 1998, but there’s no equivalent FDA-approved product for women — even though their struggles are just as real.
Products that claim to improve female arousal “are really relying heavily on marketing language, consumer reviews, lifestyle branding, without the real evidence,” Johnson said.
“This is a long overdue correction to a system that’s really sidelined women’s sexual health, and we want to validate that experience by putting science where marketing used to dominate,” she said of Dare to Play.
“Women deserve clinical solutions that have been clinically studied.”
