Why Women's Desire Disappears After 40 (And the Drug That Brings It Back) | Cindy Eckert | #168

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Today I sat down with Cindy Eckert, founder and CEO of Sprout Pharmaceuticals and the woman behind Addyi, the first and only FDA-approved medication for low sexual desire in women, often called the "female Viagra." This conversation is about so much more than a pill: it's about biology, agency, and why a switch going out in your brain deserves a medical answer, not a euphemism.

 

What we explore:

- Why desire begins in the brain, not the body.

- How Addyi works on dopamine and serotonin to restore interest.

- What women say when they describe losing their libido.

- Why HSDD can affect women from their teens through their eighties.

- How the double standard in men's versus women's sexual health stalled the science for decades.

- What words to use with your doctor to be taken seriously.

- Why medical gaslighting shows up the same way in sexual health as it does in orthopedics.

- How "The Pink Pill" documentary exposes gender bias in healthcare.

- Why it's okay to fire a clinician who blows you off.

 

About Cindy Eckert:

Cindy Eckert is the founder and CEO of Sprout Pharmaceuticals, maker of Addyi, the first FDA-approved treatment for low sexual desire in women. A serial entrepreneur with over $1.5 billion in company exits, she was named to the TIME100 Health 2026 list, Glossy's inaugural Wellness Founder of the Year, and Sprout was named one of TIME's 10 Most Influential Health and Life Science Companies of 2026. Addyi was also featured in Oprah's Menopause Awards. She's now the subject of the documentary "The Pink Pill," streaming on Paramount+.

 

Read more:

TIME100 Health 2026:https://time.com/article/2026/04/27/time100-companies-health/

NYT Profile: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/style/cindy-eckert-pink-pill-addyi.html

Oprah's Menopause Awards: https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/health/a69978304/oprah-menopause-awards-2026/

 

Connect with Cindy Eckert:
Website: addyi.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cindypinkceo/ 

 

Grab an Addyi coupon for your telemed appointment

Use promo code VONDA to get $10 off

👉 addyi.com 

 

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

01:42 Medical Gaslighting in Women's Health

03:40 Female Desire and the Brain

05:35 How Women Describe Low Libido

08:24 The Science of Dopamine and Serotonin

10:34 How Addyi's Effects Build Over Time

12:55 Desire and a Sense of Wholeness

16:17 HSDD Across the Lifespan

19:08 The FDA's Resistance to Addyi

22:26 The Double Standard in Sexual Health

25:08 What to Say to Your Doctor

28:14 When to Fire Your Clinician

33:00 Treating Sexual Health as Medicine

36:22 Making of "The Pink Pill" Documentary

41:00 Women's Health Conversations 2026

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🧬 About Dr. Vonda Wright

Dr. Vonda Wright is an orthopedic sports surgeon and leading expert in women's health and longevity.

For over 20 years, she has helped women build muscle, strengthen bone, and extend their health span — with science, not guesswork.

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