Sex aids targeted to women go mainstream

(Correction: Because of a reporting error, a story in Sunday's Business & Money section about over-the-counter sexual enhancement products incorrectly stated the name of the Durex line of products. The correct name is the Play line.)

Male sexual enhancement drugs like Viagra have been doing a phenomenal prescription business, but now the over-the-counter market is kicking into high gear, primarily with products targeted at women.

Drugstore shelves that once carried a smattering of condoms and K-Y Jelly are now filling with lubricants that warm, tingle, and come in a variety of sugar-free flavors. There are arousal oils, pleasure-enhancing creams, and vibrating rings that fit male genitalia for the enjoyment of both partners.

Zestra Laboratories of Charleston, S.C., which is marketing its nonprescription arousal oil as the female Viagra, says sales of sex enhancement products are booming because more women believe they have a sexual problem than men.

''It's a mass-market category for sure," said Zestra president Alan Fink. ''It's no longer a niche business."

Johnson & Johnson is transforming its staid K-Y brand into a blockbuster product line of warming gels and massage oils. The K-Y name is on seven of the top-10-selling lubricants on the market, and accounted for more than two-thirds of the category's $92 million in sales over the last year, according to Information Resources Inc., a Chicago market research firm.

Trojan, the nation's largest condom manufacturer, recently launched a new line of sex enhancement products for women under the Elexa brand. Some of the products are being stocked in the feminine hygiene aisle rather than the more male-oriented condom section.

Retailers like CVS, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, and Drugstore.com carry sex enhancement products as part of their overall commitment to promoting good health, and sales have been so strong that chains have expanded their selection.

Todd Andrews, a CVS spokesman, said sex enhancement products overall are showing ''explosive growth" and the pharmacy chain has more than quadrupled the amount of shelf space devoted to the category over the last two years. He says demand is being driven in part by aging baby boomers, who view sexual intimacy as an integral part of a healthy lifestyle.

''As people get older, issues of intimacy become more important and in some cases more challenging," Andrews said. ''These products make intimacy easier."

Christina Hines, planning manager for the sexual well-being category at Drugstore.com, said sales of sex enhancement products are up 16 percent over last year, with Zestra the top-selling product.

Another big seller: the vibrating male genitalia rings, which debuted in September. The rings, which are often packaged with a condom, are designed for one-time use and vibrate for up to 20 minutes. Drugstore.com is charging $6 for the ring alone; CVS is charging $10 for a ring packaged with a condom.

Stephen Mare, brand manager for Durex Consumers Products Inc., the maker of the 4Play line of lubricants and vibrators, said many of today's sex enhancement products are similar to ones that have been around for years, but today they're being marketed differently.

''The old products were really sold as a solution to a medical problem," he said. ''What we've been selling is sexual intimacy."

Some of the manufacturers make claims that go beyond intimacy. A number of companies make oils or creams that they say increase sexual sensation, arousal, and pleasure for women.

The product Finally, which bills itself as ''the solution for women," sells a tiny 0.14-ounce tube of cream for $6 that promotes ''sexual sensitivity in women, resulting in enhanced orgasmic response."

Zestra says its ''all-natural product" is clinically proven to improve sexual function in women 3 to 5 minutes after application. Drugstore.com sells a package of Zestra with nine applications for $22.

The company backs up its claim with a 2003 study involving 20 women. The study, paid for and conducted by Zestra, found that the arousal oil improved sexual function in both normal women and women with sexual arousal disorder. Three subjects in the study reported mild genital burning sensations after use.

Fink, the Zestra president, said the company is now paying for a larger clinical trial involving 200 women.

''We want Zestra to become the female Viagra and become the gold standard for the medical-professional field," Fink said.

Ricardo Munarriz, assistant professor of urology at Boston Medical Center and the director of the Center for Sexual Medicine at Boston University, said there is little evidence so far that Zestra and the other feminine arousal products work.

''None of these products have been shown to be effective in placebo-controlled studies," he said. ''There's no data on their effectiveness, safety, or anything."

A spokesman for the National Institutes of Health said the agency has no connection with the Zestra study other than the fact that Zestra has listed the study on an agency website.

Jim Daniels, vice president of marketing for Trojan, a division of Church & Dwight, said the company's research showed women felt their sexual needs were being ignored. He said the Elexa line of products, which includes condoms, lubricants, and vibrating rings, was designed to meet those needs in a nonoffensive manner.

''Women across the board -- red states, blue states -- are very interested in enhancing their sexual pleasure," Daniels said. ''It's reflected in shows like 'Sex and the City' and 'Desperate Housewives.' The time has come and woman are very pleased that their voices are being heard."

Bruce Mohl can be reached at mohl@globe.com.