Viagra May Help Relieve Your Menstrual Cramps

In news to be filed under “NO WAY YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME,” researchers think they may have found a link between treating menstrual cramps and a certain class of erectile dysfunction drugs:

Primary dysmenorrhea, also called PD, is the most common cause of pelvic pain in women. Sildenafil citrate, sold under the brand name Viagra, may help with pelvic pain because it can lead to dilation of the blood vessels.

A group of Penn State College of Medicine researchers working in conjunction with researchers at Nova Gradiska General Hospital in Croatia tried administering sildenafil citrate vaginally, which was reported to have reduced pain for some participants. Via Salon:

Patients rated their pain over four consecutive hours. Sildenafil citrate administered vaginally alleviates acute menstrual pain with no reported side effects. Researchers hypothesized that the drug would alleviate pain, which it does, but also that is does so by increasing blood flow.

However, the exact reason why sildenafil citrate reduces pain in women suffering from PD still is not fully understood. The report has been published and hopefully, more work will be done to find out exactly how it helps and if there is a way to get the treatment to women who might actually need it:

“If future studies confirm these findings, sildenafil may become a treatment option for patients with PD,” said [Penn State College of Medicines Richard] Legro, professor of obstetrics and gynecology and public health sciences. “Since PD is a condition that most women suffer from and seek treatment for at some points in their lives, the quest for new medication is justified.”

BTW, this is as good enough as anytime to tell you that it’s IRKSOME that 90% of all the stock photos for “menstrual cycle” are ladies clasping their bellies, doubled over with their faces frozen in horrific, mangled expressions. Hey stock photo industry, it’s a period, not the fucking Red Wedding; kthanx.