Big Pharma, Women, and the Labour of Love

by Thea Cacchioni

In 2010, Thea Cacchioni testified before the US Food and Drug Administration against flibanserin, a drug proposed to treat low sexual desire in women, dubbed by the media the "pink Viagra." She was one of many academics and activists sounding the alarm about the lack of science behind the search for potentially lucrative female sexual enhancement drugs. In her book, Big Pharma, Women, and the Labour of Love , Cacchioni moves beyond the search for a sexual pharmaceutical drug for women to ask a broader how does the medicalization of female sexuality already affect women's lives? Using in-depth interviews with doctors, patients, therapists, and other medical practitioners, Cacchioni shows that, whatever the future of the "pink Viagra," heterosexual women often now feel expected to take on the job of managing their and their partners' sexual desires. Their search for sexual pleasure can be a "labour of love," work that is enjoyable for some but a chore for others. An original and insightful take on the burden of heterosexual norms in an era of compulsory sexuality, Cacchioni's investigation should open up a wide-ranging discussion about the true impact of the medicalization of sexuality.

Genres: Feminism

184 pages, Paperback

First published July 29, 2015

Reviews

[GONZA · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a psychotherapist I can only agree with the thesis of the author about all the medicalization about female sexual issues are mostly driven by the big pharmaceutic industry. Mostly the based on the conception of an "heterosexual normal life" that is, not only difficult to define, but even more difficult to apply to the LGBT World. Very interesting and it offers a lot to think about.

Come psicoterapeuta non posso che concordare con la tesi dell'autrice di quanto la medicalizzazione delle problematiche sessuali femminili stia subendo una grossa spinta dalle case farmaceutiche. Basata sulla definizione, per altro vaghissima di una "normale vita sessuale dal punto di vista eterosessuale", tali norme sono ancora piú difficili da applicare al mondo omosessuale o transessuale. Un libro molto interessante che offre moltissimi spunti di riflessione.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS FOR THE PREVIEW!