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

📩 Get Dr. Vonda's insights Want to understand what's happening in your body — and what to do next? Each week, Dr. Vonda shares science-backed guidance on strength, bone health, muscle, and longevity — the same way she speaks to her patients. Clear. Practical. No noise. 👉 Join the newsletter: https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=YqJKtR&g=Ww3gx3&   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 <