The Arab country turning to 'female Viagra'

As Egypt becomes the first Arab country to authorise the production and sale of a drug meant to boost the female libido, the BBC's Sally Nabil explores whether there's a market for it in such a socially conservative country.

"I felt drowsy and dizzy, and my heart was racing."

This is how Leila felt after taking her first pill of the so-called "female Viagra" - chemically known as flibanserin.

The drug was first authorised for use in the US almost three years ago, and is now being produced in Egypt by a local pharmaceutical company.

Leila - not her real name - is a conservative housewife in her mid-30s. She prefers to conceal her identity as, like many women in Egypt, talking about sexual problems and sexual needs is still very much a taboo.

After almost 10 years of marriage, she says she decided to get the drug "out of mere curiosity".

Leila, who has no health problems, bought the drug without a prescription - a very common practice in Egypt, where people can buy many medicines over the counter.

"The pharmacist told me to take a pill every night for a few weeks. He said there would be no side effects," she says. "My husband and I wanted to see what would happen. I tried it once, and will never do it again."

• 'Female Viagra' - all you need to know

Divorce rates are on the rise in Egypt, and some local media reports have attributed it to persistent sexual problems between couples.

The local manufacturer of flibanserin says three out of every 10 women in Egypt have a low sex drive. But these figures are just rough estimates - such statistics are hard to come by in the country.

"This treatment is very much needed here - it's a revolution," says Ashraf Al Maraghy, a representative of the company.