Like a Sex Machine

EROS clitoral suction therapy: help has arrived for women with sexual arousal disorder.

By Alison Calabia, published on December 31, 1969 - last reviewed on August 30, 2004

At last, women may have their answer to Viagra. The EROS Clitoral Therapy Device (EROS-CTD) is the first product developed to treat female sexual arousal disorder (FSAD). Characterized by diminished sexual sensation, FSAD affects approximately 43% of American women. It results from inadequate blood flow to the clitoris and can cause a host of other difficulties, including lack of desire and difficulty achieving orgasm.

Enter EROS, a clitoral suction device that draws blood to the clitoris to trigger sexual arousal and enhance orgasms. In a study presented recently at an American Urological Association conference, 80% of FSAD sufferers reported improved sexual satisfaction after using EROS before intercourse. But EROS is no mere sex toy, says Kevin Billups, Ph.D., an urologist and one of the study's researchers. "People say, 'Oh, this is just a fancy vibrator'--but it isn't," he explains. "It's a physiological device."

Because FSAD can also hurt relationships by causing lowered self-esteem, depression and poor body image, "women suffering with sexual dysfunction may have a relationship in crisis," says Laura Berman, Ph.D., a female sexual dysfunction expert. She suggests these women consider using EROS in conjunction with professional counseling. And the best news may be yet to come: women who used EROS regularly reported enhanced sexual satisfaction even after they stopped using it.