Viagra goes pink (finally!): First-of-its-kind cream promises to jump-start arousal in women

Can "scream cream" help with low libido or vaginal dryness from menopause?
All your sexual health questions answered
Advice & Empathy: A Personal Note to Women Considering the Cream
Sildenafil Arousal Cream FAQs
Arousal Cream FAQs
How to Use Scream Cream

The investigators also conducted an exploratory post hoc analysis evaluating a subset of the intention-to-treat population who had a diagnosis of FSDD with or without concomitant decreased desire. In this subset, significant increases in SFQ28 Arousal Sensation domain score were seen vs the placebo group. These patients also had a higher mean improvement in SFQ28 Desire and Orgasm domain scores, as well as significantly decreased sexual distress and interpersonal difficulties as assessed by FSDS-DAO questions 3, 5, and 10.2 “As more women speak openly about their sexual health, the need for research-backed solutions has never been greater,” said Irwin Goldstein, MD, director of San Diego Sexual Medicine in California and a founder of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health in the news release. “Daré’s commitment to both clinical integrity and timely access ensures women who need it don’t have to wait to benefit from this innovation.”1 DARE to PLAY sildenafil cream now available for pre-order by prescription: First evidence-based topical arousal cream for women begins commercial rollout in select states via 503B outsourcing facility. Preliminary efficacy of topical sildenafil cream for the treatment of female sexual arousal disorder: A randomized controlled trial. "With women, it has been viewed as more complicated .. but it's not." Today, doctors can begin prescribing a first-of-its-kind arousal cream for women. Daré Bioscience, a biotech company focused solely on women’s health innovations, launched DARE to PLAY™, a cream to improve women’s sexual health and desire. The product, which is now available in some states through prescription, is made with the same active ingredient as Viagra: sildenafil. Viagra was FDA-approved in 1998 to treat erectile dysfunction in men, and nearly thirty years later, momentum to create similar products for women has lagged far behind. At least one in five women will experience low libido or struggle with arousal during sex; for women in midlife, low libido is more common amid hormonal fluctuations. “We knew from existing research that the same active ingredient in Viagra could have similar benefits for women, but when taken as a pill, it caused unwanted side effects,” CEO of Daré Bioscience Sabrina Johnson tells Flow Space. “So, we asked a simple question: what if we could deliver it differently?” The topical cream formulation works by increasing blood flow before a sexual activity by opening and relaxing blood vessels in the clitoris and vulva, where the cream is applied.

Can "scream cream" help with low libido or vaginal dryness from menopause?

Plast Reconstr Surg

"With women, it has been viewed as more complicated .. but it's not." Today, doctors can begin prescribing a first-of-its-kind arousal cream for women. Daré Bioscience, a biotech company focused solely on women’s health innovations, launched DARE to PLAY™, a cream to improve women’s sexual health and desire. The product, which is now available in some states through prescription, is made with the same active ingredient as Viagra: sildenafil. Viagra was FDA-approved in 1998 to treat erectile dysfunction in men, and nearly thirty years later, momentum to create similar products for women has lagged far behind.

Other Literature Sources

At least one in five women will experience low libido or struggle with arousal during sex; for women in midlife, low libido is more common amid hormonal fluctuations. “We knew from existing research that the same active ingredient in Viagra could have similar benefits for women, but when taken as a pill, it caused unwanted side effects,” CEO of Daré Bioscience Sabrina Johnson tells Flow Space. “So, we asked a simple question: what if we could deliver it differently?” The topical cream formulation works by increasing blood flow before a sexual activity by opening and relaxing blood vessels in the clitoris and vulva, where the cream is applied. Johnson hopes this launch marks a shift toward closing the gender desire gap. “Men were very loud about the fact that it was so critical to their sexual function and sexual activity to be able to have an erection. Johnson hopes this launch marks a shift toward closing the gender desire gap. “Men were very loud about the fact that it was so critical to their sexual function and sexual activity to be able to have an erection. With women, it has been viewed as more complicated … but it’s not,” says Johnson. “It’s really not that much more complicated. There’s desire [and] there’s arousal, just like in men.” Johnson, who has worked in women’s health innovation for over two decades, hopes this product not only serves women’s sexual health but also normalizes it as an integral pillar of their whole health.

The concept of Viagra cream emerged as a topical alternative.
It is intended to bypass gastrointestinal absorption issues.
Topical use may reduce the risk of cardiovascular side effects.
Some formulations include additional botanicals for enhancement.
It is part of a growing market for personal sexual wellness products.
Regulations vary by country; some products are unapproved.
Expect a warming or tingling sensation upon application.
The cream should be stored in a cool, dry place.
Discontinue use if skin redness or irritation occurs.
Use as directed to prevent overdose or adverse reactions.

In the meantime, DARE to PLAY joins a sparse field of prescription arousal products for women. Sprout Pharmaceuticals’ Addyi, a pill to treat hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women, faced an uphill battle before receiving FDA approval in 2015. As Dr. Sadaf Lodhi, a sex counselor and board-certified OB-GYN, told Flow Space, women have long felt obligated to normalize low libido and painful sex. Ten years ago, no one was talking about libido as much. [Women] don’t need to settle for sex being painful or a decreased libido if it’s bothering them,” she says. “To want sex is to have sex worth wanting.

Product	Dosage	Quantity + Bonus	Price
Viagra Soft Tabs	100mg	60 + 6 Pills	152.94€ 145.66€
Viagra Generic	25mg	90 + 6 Pills	105.03€ 100.03€
Viagra Super Active	100mg	120 + 16 Pills	198.37€ 188.92€
Viagra Soft Tabs	100mg	20 Pills	62.99€ 59.99€
Viagra Generic	50mg	270 + 8 Pills	198.48€ 189.03€
Viagra Generic	150mg	360 + 10 Pills	423.48€ 403.31€
Viagra Generic	200mg	270 + 10 Pills	379.76€ 361.68€
Viagra Generic	50mg	20 Pills	40.52€ 38.59€
Viagra Original	100mg	64 + 4 Pills	264.15€ 251.57€
Viagra Generic	150mg	60 + 4 Pills	111.25€ 105.95€
Viagra Original	100mg	14 + 2 Pills	89.03€ 84.79€
Viagra Super Active	100mg	360 + 30 Pills	470.93€ 448.50€
Viagra Generic	50mg	30 + 4 Pills	54.26€ 51.68€
Viagra Generic	100mg	360 + 10 Pills	330.21€ 314.49€
Viagra Generic	200mg	90 + 6 Pills	170.79€ 162.66€

All your sexual health questions answered

Not only did the cream improve objective sexual function, it also seemed to change how participants felt about their own bodies. Women reported increased genital awareness, less self-consciousness during intimacy, and greater initiation of sexual activity (journals.lww.com). These outcomes suggest that sildenafil may do more than modulate vasculature, it may influence how women experience themselves during sex. This article discusses how effective arousal treatments for women can be framed in ways that avoid reductionism and reinforce dignity. The 2024 data offer a biochemical mechanism, but they also reopen questions about what arousal means, what sexual healing looks like, and why gender-inclusive models of care are not optional they are overdue.

About the pre-fulfillment prescription period.

Sexual arousal in women is a physiologic process rooted in blood flow, but shaped by far more than that. Clitoral and vaginal engorgement depend on nitric oxide release, like in the penis, but the architecture is subtler, the timeline more variable, and the interplay with touch and context far more sensitive. Unlike oral formulations, previously trialed with limited success due to inconsistent systemic absorption, this transvaginal approach delivers sildenafil directly to target tissues, with minimal systemic side effects. The onset is more localized, and importantly, it circumvents the need for whole-body exposure. In the pilot research, women reported not only increased genital sensation, but a faster transition from desire to readiness to intimacy.

How sildenafil boosts orgasms

Interestingly, the most substantial gains were observed in participants who had reported high sexual distress at baseline. This points toward a neurovascular-emotional feedback loop: when physical readiness improves, psychological readiness may follow and vice versa. But by removing a vascular barrier, it can help clear the path for arousal to occur, especially when the woman is otherwise interested and emotionally open to the experience. The experience of arousal is not only physical. It is psychological, symbolic, and deeply somatic. “I think we’ll start to see women put more pressure on companies to deliver real, science-backed solutions.” While Daré Bioscience’s cream is not currently FDA-approved, Johnson has her sights on approval in the future.

Use Case	Description	Target Audience	Application Frequency
Erectile Dysfunction	Enhances blood flow to improve erections	Men aged 30-60	Before sexual activity
Performance Enhancement	Increases stamina in sexual activity	Men and women	As needed
Local Skin Treatment	Moisturizes and soothes irritated skin	Individuals with skin irritation	Daily application

For now, the product is available as a compounded topical through Section 503B of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), meaning it is produced at an FDA-registered outsourcing facility. The cream underwent toxicology testing; a randomized, placebo-controlled study; and was manufactured under cGMP requirements. “What we’re hoping we’re doing is a correction to the system,” Johnson says. It’s not niche for half the population. I feel like these are billion-dollar opportunities hiding in plain sight.” Explore your whole life health with expert interviews, stories from real people, health innovations, research, products, and fun recommendations. Explore your whole life health with expert interviews, stories from real people, health innovations, research, products, viagra black and fun recommendations. Sexual dysfunction in women has long hovered at the edge of clinical conversations, recognized but under-investigated, named but rarely prioritized. While male sexual health became a pharmaceutical frontier with the approval of Viagra in 1998, female arousal disorders remained in a therapeutic vacuum. Until recently, much of what passed for treatment was indirect: hormone replacement, psychotherapy, lubricants.

Advice & Empathy: A Personal Note to Women Considering the Cream

“What we’re hoping we’re doing is a correction to the system,” Johnson says. It’s not niche for half the population. I feel like these are billion-dollar opportunities hiding in plain sight.” Explore your whole life health with expert interviews, stories from real people, health innovations, research, products, and fun recommendations. Explore your whole life health with expert interviews, stories from real people, health innovations, research, products, viagra black and fun recommendations. Sexual dysfunction in women has long hovered at the edge of clinical conversations, recognized but under-investigated, named but rarely prioritized.

Potential side effects

While male sexual health became a pharmaceutical frontier with the approval of Viagra in 1998, female arousal disorders remained in a therapeutic vacuum. Until recently, much of what passed for treatment was indirect: hormone replacement, psychotherapy, lubricants. What was missing was not only efficacy, but attention. In 2024, a multicenter pilot trial of topical sildenafil 3.6% cream in women with Female Sexual Arousal Disorder (FSAD) (PMC) reported statistically significant improvements in subjective arousal, genital engorgement, and—perhaps most strikingly, body-image confidence. The findings were most pronounced in women who began the study with high levels of sexual distress.

Sildenafil and lipolysis

It was measurable, meaningful, and deeply suggestive. This is of great importance, because FSAD is more than a vascular issue. It is where biology and psychology meet: where impaired genital responsiveness collides with internalized shame, fear of touch, or simply the loss of ease within one’s own skin. For many women, the inability to feel arousal is not just about friction or blood flow. It’s about invisibility clinical, relational, and even personal. What was missing was not only efficacy, but attention. In 2024, a multicenter pilot trial of topical sildenafil 3.6% cream in women with Female Sexual Arousal Disorder (FSAD) (PMC) reported statistically significant improvements in subjective arousal, genital engorgement, and—perhaps most strikingly, body-image confidence. The findings were most pronounced in women who began the study with high levels of sexual distress. It was measurable, meaningful, and deeply suggestive. This is of great importance, because FSAD is more than a vascular issue. It is where biology and psychology meet: where impaired genital responsiveness collides with internalized shame, fear of touch, or simply the loss of ease within one’s own skin.

Sildenafil Arousal Cream FAQs

This is where pharmacology intersects with psychology in a way that demands careful framing. A cream cannot rewrite personal history or undo self-doubt. However, it can offer something quieter: a re-entry point, a moment where the body responds and the mind, perhaps surprised, leans in rather than away. Some women describe it not as “getting aroused” but as “remembering how to feel.” Such effects should not be overstated, but neither should they be dismissed as placebo. When sensation returns in a body long tuned out, it can catalyze confidence and reorient a woman’s relationship to touch, trust, and intimacy. For many women, the inability to feel arousal is not just about friction or blood flow. It’s about invisibility clinical, relational, and even personal. Not only did the cream improve objective sexual function, it also seemed to change how participants felt about their own bodies. Women reported increased genital awareness, less self-consciousness during intimacy, and greater initiation of sexual activity (journals.lww.com). These outcomes suggest that sildenafil may do more than modulate vasculature, it may influence how women experience themselves during sex.

The effectiveness of Viagra cream depends on skin absorption.
It is sometimes promoted as a natural alternative.
Possible benefits include reduced frequency of side effects.
Scientific evidence supporting its use is limited.
Users should be wary of false advertising claims.
Some formulations may contain unsafe or unregulated ingredients.
Proper use involves cleaning the application area thoroughly.
The cream should be applied as per product instructions.
Do not exceed recommended dosage to avoid irritation.
Keep out of reach of children and pets.

This article discusses how effective arousal treatments for women can be framed in ways that avoid reductionism and reinforce dignity.

Brand Name	Manufacturer	Price (per tube)	Customer Ratings
ViraCream	PharmaHealth Co.	$25	4.5/5
ErectaGel	Medico Pharmaceuticals	$30	4.2/5
LibidoBoost	BioWell Inc.	$20	4.0/5

The 2024 data offer a biochemical mechanism, but they also reopen questions about what arousal means, what sexual healing looks like, and why gender-inclusive models of care are not optional they are overdue. Sexual arousal in women is a physiologic process rooted in blood flow, but shaped by far more than that. Clitoral and vaginal engorgement depend on nitric oxide release, like in the penis, but the architecture is subtler, the timeline more variable, and the interplay with touch and context far more sensitive. Unlike oral formulations, previously trialed with limited success due to inconsistent systemic absorption, this transvaginal approach delivers sildenafil directly to target tissues, with minimal systemic side effects. The onset is more localized, and importantly, it circumvents the need for whole-body exposure. In the pilot research, women reported not only increased genital sensation, but a faster transition from desire to readiness to intimacy. Interestingly, the most substantial gains were observed in participants who had reported high sexual distress at baseline. This points toward a neurovascular-emotional feedback loop: when physical readiness improves, psychological readiness may follow and vice versa. But by removing a vascular barrier, it can help clear the path for arousal to occur, especially when the woman is otherwise interested and emotionally open to the experience. The experience of arousal is not only physical. It is psychological, symbolic, and deeply somatic.

Arousal Cream FAQs

It is not just a state of lubrication or swelling but a sense of being alive in one’s body, responsive, attuned, and, perhaps most importantly, deserving pleasure. For many women with FSAD, that sense of attunement is precisely what has gone missing. The pilot trial of topical sildenafil cream reported improvements not only in genital response, but also in body confidence, particularly in participants who began the study with high levels of sexual dissatisfaction. These findings echo earlier observations that female arousal disorders often coexist with distorted body image, trauma histories, or relational fatigue. When arousal becomes unreliable or absent, women frequently internalize it as failure not just of the body, but of femininity itself. It is not just a state of lubrication or swelling but a sense of being alive in one’s body, responsive, attuned, and, perhaps most importantly, deserving pleasure. For many women with FSAD, that sense of attunement is precisely what has gone missing. The pilot trial of topical sildenafil cream reported improvements not only in genital response, but also in body confidence, particularly in participants who began the study with high levels of sexual dissatisfaction. These findings echo earlier observations that female arousal disorders often coexist with distorted body image, trauma histories, or relational fatigue.

How to Use Scream Cream

With women, it has been viewed as more complicated … but it’s not,” says Johnson. “It’s really not that much more complicated. There’s desire [and] there’s arousal, just like in men.” Johnson, who has worked in women’s health innovation for over two decades, hopes this product not only serves women’s sexual health but also normalizes it as an integral pillar of their whole health. In the meantime, DARE to PLAY joins a sparse field of prescription arousal products for women. Sprout Pharmaceuticals’ Addyi, a pill to treat hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women, faced an uphill battle before receiving FDA approval in 2015.

Key Takeaways

As Dr. Sadaf Lodhi, a sex counselor and board-certified OB-GYN, told Flow Space, women have long felt obligated to normalize low libido and painful sex. Ten years ago, no one was talking about libido as much. [Women] don’t need to settle for sex being painful or a decreased libido if it’s bothering them,” she says. “To want sex is to have sex worth wanting.

How it Helps You Do It

I always say to my patients, ‘if you’re not experiencing pleasure with intimacy, then you’re not going to want it.’” Johnson says that successfully creating the formulation, ensuring it could work in 10 minutes, was integral to getting the cream to market to serve women’s needs. “Decades of underfunding and underdevelopment have also led many women to deprioritize their sexual health or, worse, turn to risky, unregulated treatments that, more and more, are being advertised as safe and effective,” says Johnson. “I think we’ll start to see women put more pressure on companies to deliver real, science-backed solutions.” While Daré Bioscience’s cream is not currently FDA-approved, Johnson has her sights on approval in the future. For now, the product is available as a compounded topical through Section 503B of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), meaning it is produced at an FDA-registered outsourcing facility. The cream underwent toxicology testing; a randomized, placebo-controlled study; and was manufactured under cGMP requirements. When arousal becomes unreliable or absent, women frequently internalize it as failure not just of the body, but of femininity itself. This is where pharmacology intersects with psychology in a way that demands careful framing. A cream cannot rewrite personal history or undo self-doubt. However, it can offer something quieter: a re-entry point, a moment where the body responds and the mind, perhaps surprised, leans in rather than away. Some women describe it not as “getting aroused” but as “remembering how to feel.” Such effects should not be overstated, but neither should they be dismissed as placebo. When sensation returns in a body long tuned out, it can catalyze confidence and reorient a woman’s relationship to touch, trust, and intimacy.