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  Life   Relationship  29 Jan 2018  Scientists discover the 'kiss hormone' that fuels sex drive

Scientists discover the 'kiss hormone' that fuels sex drive

THE ASIAN AGE
Published : Jan 29, 2018, 9:14 pm IST
Updated : Jan 29, 2018, 9:14 pm IST

The 'kiss hormone' is kisspeptin affects puberty and fertility.

There are no good treatments available for women suffering from low sexual desire. (Photo: Pixabay)
 There are no good treatments available for women suffering from low sexual desire. (Photo: Pixabay)

The 'kiss hormone' which fuels libido could help women achieve better orgasms.

The 'kiss hormone' is kisspeptin affects puberty and fertility, but new research shows that it could help women with extremely low sex drives, or hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD).

While testosterone is known to help women with this disorder it has 'male' side effects, including facial hair and a deeper voice. 

However, kisspeptin's side-effects are unknown.

The study's author Professor Julie Bakker from Liege University, Belgium, said to the Daily Mail, " There are no good treatments available for women suffering from low sexual desire. The discovery that kisspeptin controls both attraction and sexual desire opens up exciting new possibilities for the development of treatments for low sexual desire."

The disorder is believed to affect up to 40 per cent of women at some point in their lives in the US and UK. 

With 5-15 per cent suffering perpetually.

Professor Ulrich Boehm, from Saarland University, Germany, another author of the study said, "Until now, little was known about how the brain ties together ovulation, attraction and sex. Now we know that a single molecule - kisspeptin - controls all of these aspects through different brain circuits running in parallel with one another."

The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications.     

Tags: saarland university, germany, kisspeptin, kiss hormone, sex drive, libido, testosterone, ovulation, attraction, sex, hypoactive sexual desire disorder (hsdd), liege university, belgium