The Pink Pill Documentary Reveals Addyi’s Wild Story: ‘Desire Doesn’t Expire’ After 50 (Exclusive)
Find out how it's helping women break free from medical gaslighting
Have you ever talked to your doctor about low libido and felt your concerns weren’t taken seriously? Women over 50 are finally feeling validated thanks to a buzzy new documentary streaming on Paramount+ called The Pink Pill: Sex, Drugs and Who Has Control. The award-winning film reveals the wild, 15-year battle to bring Addyi—nicknamed “female Viagra”—to market to help the 50 percent of women over 50 who experience low sex drive.
Cindy Eckert, CEO and founder of Sprout Pharmaceuticals, sat down with Woman’s World for an exclusive interview to talk about the history-making medical treatment she championed, progress in women’s sexual health and the pink pill’s hidden connection to the hit show Grey’s Anatomy. Don’t miss this empowering conversation about Addyi!
What is the pink pill featured in the documentary?
Addyi is the brand name for a prescription drug that treats hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), the medical term for low sex drive. Eckert explains, “Scientists coined the diagnosis back in 1977, but it wasn’t until last year that the FDA granted expanded approval of a drug to treat postmenopausal women up to age 65 with the condition.” The medication, called flibanserin, works differently than the “blue pill” Viagra. Addyi is a once-daily pill that works on the brain chemistry related to libido and desire.
Woman's World Answers
The Pink Pill documentary on disparities in women’s health care
Here’s something that might surprise you: Men have at least 26 FDA-approved sexual-health drugs to choose from. Viagra was approved way back in 1998 with the swiftness usually reserved for life-saving cancer drugs. But women? We had to wait until 2015 for the first option—and approval for postmenopausal women wasn’t expanded until recently.
“I just play a game like, what if the pill had been blue?” says Eckert, highlighting the gender bias in healthcare. She shares a story that illustrates the problem perfectly: A woman who met the diagnostic criteria for HSDD was appropriately prescribed Addyi by her doctor but the insurance company questioned it, saying, “Yeah, but first she has to go to marriage counseling.” Eckert says, “Now can you imagine a man asking for a prescription for Viagra and being told, ‘Have you tried marriage counseling first?’”
No more medical gaslighting for women
In the documentary, Eckert says the “single biggest crisis in women’s health is that you’re not taken seriously.” What did she have to say about medical gaslighting for women?
“I experienced it,” says Eckert about her own journey with HSDD. “We are told to ‘relax. It’s normal, just schedule date night.’ Women are only treated on the basis of our emotions and not our biology, and that is where things go sideways in women’s health.”
Eckert explains, “When a man shows up to the doctor, we look at him as a biological being. Once we flip that for women, everything equalizes. That is the hill I will die on: We are going to begin the conversation of low sexual desire rooted in biology.”
But thanks to advocates like Eckert and the awareness raised by The Pink Pill documentary, women are finally being heard and getting the help they deserve.
The pink pill’s wild Grey’s Anatomy connection
Speaking of things that might surprise you, the pink pill has an unexpected pop culture connection. Fans love the revelation in the documentary about how Addyi is named after the strong character of Dr. Addison Montgomery on Grey’s Anatomy. What does actress Kate Walsh think about her namesake?
“I got a chance [to ask her] years ago. Kate Walsh and I ended up in the same room at a women’s event,” Eckert reveals. “I said, ‘By any chance, have you heard of the female Viagra?’ And she looked at me like, ‘What?’ But I was like, ‘It’s called Addyi. It was named after your character.’ And she said, ‘I’m calling Shonda Rhimes immediately.’ We’ll say she was ‘tickled pink’ in that moment!”
What to expect if you take the pink pill
Unlike Viagra, which works on physical response, Addyi works on the pleasure centers of your brain—the part that controls desire and mood. Eckert explains, “For women, sex isn’t like a destination and a performative act. It’s about being in the mood.” She explains, “I think it’s important that you have a real expectation with this drug. You’re not going to take Addyi and swing from the chandelier tonight. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the wrong place. It works on neurochemistry. It builds in the system over time. It allows spontaneity. It gets you back into that place where you are responsive.”
Like any prescription medication, Addyi has some side effects to be aware of. It can cause drowsiness and may lower blood pressure, which is why doctors recommend taking it at bedtime. Important: If you drink alcohol, wait at least two hours before taking your pill to avoid potential interactions.
The bottom line on Addyi
“My message for over-50 women: Desire doesn’t expire,” Eckert says. “It doesn’t have an age limit. We want to be vital, healthy, happy, in charge of our own pleasure our whole life. I just hope your audience knows that Addyi is available for them too. If women know they have an option for this, they’re going to have a better conversation with their doctor and partner.”
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