The WellMan Clinic News No.7
Here at the WellMan Clinic we like to keep you abreast of new developments in clinical research which may be of interest or relevance to you.
This week we share promising findings regarding the brain hormone kisspeptin. Discovered in the 1990s, kisspeptin acts as a powerful signal between the brain and the reproductive system.
Safe, natural, and acting directly on the brain’s emotional and hormonal centres, kisspeptin could represent a new generation of treatments that improve sexual wellbeing in men and women.
Also- a reminder to book your flu jab if you haven’t already done so.
As ever, if you have any questions do contact us.
What is Kisspeptin?
Kisspeptin (named after the town of Hershey in Pennsylvania- the home of Hershey’s Kisses chocolate) is a hormone involved in sexual behaviour and arousal.
The recent clinical trial
A clinical trial at Imperial College London looked at whether kisspeptin could help men with low sexual desire. In it, 32 men had two sessions. In one session they received an intravenous infusion of kisspeptin, in the other session they got placebo. The study measured brain activity via functional MRI while participants watched erotic videos, recorded sexual arousal (penile girth), and collected subjective reports of desire and arousal.
Key findings
- Brain activity: Kisspeptin significantly increased activation in key brain regions involved in sexual processing compared to placebo.
- Penile girth: Significant increase during sexual video stimuli. At certain points during a continuous erotic video, girth was ~56% higher under kisspeptin vs placebo.
- Behavioural measures: There was an increase in “happiness about sex” and reports of increased sexual desire / arousal.
- Side effects / safety: Overall well tolerated.
What this means
These results represent the first human clinical evidence that kisspeptin could be developed as a treatment for men with low sexual desire. Unlike testosterone, kisspeptin acts directly on the brain’s emotional and sexual circuits while naturally supporting hormone balance. Larger and more long-term trials are needed to confirm findings and to check for less common side effects.
Bottom line
Kisspeptin has opened a promising new avenue in addressing low sexual desire in men. Early clinical evidence shows that a single infusion can boost both brain activity and sexual arousal, with improvements in how men feel about sex. Other research has suggested a similar effect in women.
While still in the research phase, kisspeptin might, in time, become the first dedicated pharmacological therapy for low sexual desire — watch this space!
