Daré Bioscience launches a sildenafil-based prescription cream designed to boost genital blood flow and address female arousal disorders — filling what experts call a decades-long gap in women’s sexual health treatment.
Nearly 30 years after Viagra transformed men’s sexual health, a female-focused equivalent has arrived.
Daré Bioscience has formally launched Dare to Play, a prescription topical arousal cream using sildenafil — Viagra’s active ingredient — to increase blood flow to female genital tissue, enhancing arousal, lubrication, swelling response and sensitivity.
The product is being called a “long-overdue correction” in sexual-health medicine, addressing a condition that affects more than 40% of women, according to clinical research.
HOW IT WORKS: A VIAGRA-LIKE EFFECT, BUT FORMULATED FOR WOMEN
Unlike Viagra tablets, which require high systemic doses to impact female physiology, Dare to Play works by:
- Relaxing blood vessels in the clitoris and vulva
- Increasing localized blood flow
- Enhancing warmth, swelling, lubrication and sensitivity
- Triggering effects within 10–15 minutes of application
CEO Sabrina Martucci Johnson explains:
“It’s the blood flow to the genital tissue that causes tingling, warmth, engorgement… It’s what leads to the lubrication response in women.”
Delivering the medication topically avoids the systemic side effects commonly associated with Viagra tablets.
CLINICAL RESULTS: IMPROVED AROUSAL, DESIRE & ORGASMS
In controlled studies:
- Women reported significant improvements in desire, arousal and orgasm intensity
- No increased side effects compared to placebo
- Absorption remained localized, avoiding headaches, flushing and other common sildenafil reactions
The company even tested the formulation in oral-sex scenarios, with no safety concerns reported.
Dare to Play is currently offered as a compounded medication made at an FDA-registered outsourcing facility while Daré pursues full FDA approval through an upcoming Phase 3 trial.
NOT FOR EVERYONE
Women with:
- heart conditions, or
- active herpes outbreaks
should avoid use, according to manufacturer guidance.
A formal diagnosis of FSIAD is not required — patients may obtain a prescription via Daré’s telehealth partner.
AVAILABILITY
Pre-orders are open in:
Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Utah,
with nationwide dispensing expected in early 2026.
The product has a four-year shelf life.
WHY A FEMALE Viagra-LIKE OPTION TOOK DECADES
Although Viagra was approved in 1998, an equivalent treatment for women never emerged due to:
- Higher dose requirements
- Lack of targeted delivery methods
- Cultural stigma around women’s sexual health
- Over-reliance on unproven supplements marketed to women
Johnson says Dare to Play represents a shift from “marketing gimmicks” to real clinical solutions.
“Women deserve treatments that are medically validated, not just lifestyle branding.”
