A hormone that is of course produced within the body has been shown to treat low sex drive by increasing activity in brain regions related to arousal and attraction in men and girls.

In two studies, published within the journal Jama Network Open, lead investigators Prof Waljit Dhillo and Dr. Alexander Comninos, consultant endocrinologists at Imperial College London, analyzed the consequences of the hormone kisspeptin in individuals with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). 

Kisspeptin is a hormone that stimulates the discharge of other reproductive hormones within the body. In reality, previous studies have shown that shots of kisspeptin can enhance the response of individuals with healthy libidos to sexual stimuli and increase brain activity in parts involved in sexual attraction.

Other than increasing sex-related brain activity, some women enrolled in the present study said that they felt “more sexy,”  while men had increased “happiness about sex” in addition to increased “penile tumescence” while watching an erotic film within the study, based on The Guardian.

The study was particularly effective for a 44-year-old male participant who said that he faced difficulty maintaining relationships as a result of his low sexual appetite. Incredibly, the person later had a son, which his partner had conceived in the identical week he received the hormone injection. “I had one of the best possible end result consequently of the trial,” he said.

For the study, researchers enrolled 32 women and 32 men with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). A distressing condition defined by low sexual desire, HSSD affects about 10% of girls and eight% of men, as per the outlet.

The hormone treatment reduced hyperactivity in regions linked to HSDD and increased activity in noted sexual regions of the brain, the study found. Furthermore, the males scored higher at penile rigidity, which was measured while they watched an erotic video as a part of the study. The outcomes showed increased penile rigidity of as much as 56% versus a placebo.

“The predominant theory in HSDD suggests that there may be excess self-monitoring and introspection, for instance, how am I performing, how do I look, what does my partner think, which blunts downstream sexual desire and arousal,” Comninos explained.

“In these studies, we’ve shown that kisspeptin may give you the chance to handle this imbalance and promote sexual pathways in each men and women distressed by low sexual desire,” Comninos further said.

As a consequence of the incontrovertible fact that kisspeptin has no reported uncomfortable side effects and worked exceptionally well within the study, the researchers imagine that kisspeptin may be used as a treatment for HSDD. “Collectively, the outcomes suggest that kisspeptin may offer a secure and much-needed treatment for HSDD that affects thousands and thousands of individuals world wide,” Dhillo said.