A 2017 Austrian study conducted at the Medical University of Vienna demonstrated not only the effectiveness of oxytocin therapies, but also their unexpected but positive effects. Oxytocin therapies are relatively modern forms of treatment for problematic low female libido. By taking precisely defined doses of the “bonding hormone”, the aim is to increase sexual desire in representatives of the fairer sex suffering from hypoactive sexual disorder. The study, published in the journal Fertility and Sterility (2017, issue 107), found that both women treated with oxytocin and those given a placebo experienced similar improvements in their condition, related to a decrease in depressive states and an increase in sexual desire. Scientists were amazed when they decided to test how the effects of the therapy affected the partners of the women with the improvement. The scientists found that the men of these women also noted improvements in the columns “satisfaction with life”, “sexual satisfaction” and some other parameters. NEWS_MORE_BOX Most impressively, even in men with reported erectile problems or diagnosed erectile dysfunction, improvements were also seen – both in the partners of women receiving oxytocin and in the partners of women receiving placebo. According to scientists, this is a clear sign that the therapy itself and the expressed desire to improve intimate relationships lead to improvements in communication between men and women. Gaining the skills and confidence to freely discuss one’s sexuality in front of a professional or with one another is a huge factor in sex therapies and their effectiveness for intimate partners. Not only can medication help, improving communication between partners can also remove much of the stress and tension associated with sexual dysfunction in both men and women, researchers say.