Content about Human sexuality

ATLANTA — PowderWorks has introduced a new facial exfoliant that is powder-based and remains a powder even after it is massaged onto the face, promising to leave skin with a clean feel and no residue buildup.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — The Food and Drug Administration has accepted a regulatory approval application for a drug made by Vivus for treating erectile dysfunction.

Vivus said it expected the Food and Drug Administration to complete its review of the application for avanafil by April 29, 2012.

"We are pleased with FDA's acceptance of our NDA," Vivus president Peter Tam said. "If approved, avanafil could be a valuable treatment alternative for the 18 million men in the United States that suffer from ED."

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration on Friday warned consumers about a counterfeit product represented as "ExtenZe," which is the name of an authentic dietary supplement for male sexual enhancement.

The counterfeit product looks similar to the actual product, but either contains tadalafil, or a combination of tadalafil and sildenafil, all active ingredients in FDA-approved prescription medicines for erectile dysfunction.

NEW YORK — Drug manufacturers are coming up with new versions of their drugs for erectile dysfunction as those drugs’ loss of patent protection and subsequent generic competition draw near, according to published reports.

PASADENA, Calif. — Long-term use of a class of drugs used to control pain could increase the risk of erectile dysfunction in men, according to a new study.

The study, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente and published online in the Journal of Urology, found that men who took nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, three times a day for more than three months were 2.4 times as likely to have erectile dysfunction as men who didn’t take the drugs regularly. The study used data from 80,966 men ages 45 to 69 years in California.

NEW YORK — It shouldn’t surprise people too much, but pills to treat male impotence tend to see big increases in prescriptions around Valentine’s Day, according to published reports.

Bloomberg reported that prescriptions of such drugs as Pfizer’s Viagra (sildenafil) and Eli Lilly’s Cialis (tadalafil) are at their highest in the days leading up to the holiday.

NEW YORK Toys continue to dominate wish lists this holiday season, according to a new poll by Harris Interactive.

Of 3,084 U.S. adults surveyed online between Oct. 11 and 18, 53% of respondents said that they plan to purchase toys as gifts this year. What's more, nearly 3-out-of-4 consumers in a household with children (73%) said they will purchase toys as gifts this year.

Topping the toys list this year includes books (43%), video games (32%) and board games (32%). Top gift picks also include:

LAKE MARY, Fla. A specialty pharmacy provider and a manufacturer will collaborate to provide treatments for erectile dysfunction.

Axium Healthcare Pharmacy and Firma Medical announced the partnership Wednesday where by Axium’s erectile dysfunction line of injectable compounded pharmaceuticals will be marketed to Firma’s physician and patient customers around the country. The companies said the deal would give Axium broader distribution while increasing the number of treatment options for Firma’s customers.

Identigene, the first company to bring at-home paternity test kits to retail, recently launched another trailblazing at-home test kit: Identigene’s STD test.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. Condom use is higher among black and Hispanic Americans than among white Americans and those from other racial groups, according to findings from the largest nationally representative study of sexual and sexual health behaviors ever fielded, conducted by Indiana University sexual health researchers and published last week in a special issue of the Journal of Sexual Medicine.

PRINCETON, N.J. Condom producer Trojan is launching a new line of vibrators, the company said Tuesday.

Trojan announced the introduction of Trojan Vibrations, which it described as powerful but with soft textures. The first, Vibrating Tri-Phoria, will become available in retail pharmacies and mass merchandisers in 2011.