Reason why viagra doesn't work for women as female version goes on sale

A pioneering new medication dubbed 'Viagra for women' has just hit the shelves, some three decades after men first got access to the 'little blue pill'.

Sildenafil, better known by its brand name Viagra, was discovered in 1989 by a happy accident and has gone on to spice up the sex lives of millions around the world.

Medics were initially trying to find a treatment for angina when, instead, they solved the age-old question of erectile dysfunction (ED).

The drug has given men a leg-up in their sexual performance for 30 years while drugmaker Pfizer pocketed billions in revenue for its revolutionary 'little blue pill'.

According to The Cleveland Clinic, it makes the magic happen by increasing blood flow to the penis, thus helping the user to maintain an erection.

Now, scientists have been looking for a female version since Sildenafil doesn't really do much for the opposite sex.

The little blue pill has been a hit ever since it came out 30 years ago (Peter Dazeley/Getty Images)

According to Psychology Today, the reason it hasn't worked for women boils down to the differences in our brains.

While women obviously have quite different bits down there compared to men, drugmakers had hoped increasing blood flow to women's vaginal region might have a similar effect to the way it helps men.

They hoped it would stimulate the physical parts and thus trigger the psychological part that drives sexual desire.

However, it flopped. The drug companies 'found that the male brain responds to medically induced physical sexual arousal with a corresponding increase in psychological sexual arousal, but the female brain does not'.

In other words, "if a man is physically turned on, he will also become psychologically turned on. Women, however, seem to require more than just physical stimulation."

And while the companies seemed to leave it at that, it didn't deter women's health biotech group Daré Bioscience from solving the riddle to what they describe as 'one of medicine's most persistent gender gaps.'

The company claims to have made a major breakthrough in women's sexual health (Getty)

The Southern California Organization claims some 20 million women suffer with sexual arousal, and its new pioneering cream called 'DARE TO PLAY' has found a very quick way indeed to increase blood flow to the vagina and boost sexual arousal - in an estimated 10 minutes.

Interestingly, the cream uses sildenafil, the same active ingredient in Viagra, but is applied topically to 'enhance the body's natural arousal response without systemic effects, providing women with a new, evidence-based tool to take charge of their sexual health', the organization said.

Sabrina Martucci Johnson, President and CEO of Daré Bioscience, added: "When Viagra was approved in 1998, it revolutionized sexual medicine for men. But for women, comparable progress on enhancing the natural arousal sensations has stalled for nearly three decades.

“We believe DARE to PLAY represents a long overdue correction, giving women an option to reconnect with their own bodies, their pleasure, and their confidence, using science that finally recognizes their needs."

It stands as the first-of-its-kind female arousal cream, which is said to kick in between 10 and 15 minutes before sexual activity.

The researchers found there were no side effects, compared to placebos, in its clinical trials.

It's now also available on prescription to pre-order in 10 US states, including Utah, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Florida, Rhode Island, Indiana, Oregon, Missouri and New Hampshire.