A HORMONE injection can turbocharge the sex lives of couples stuck in a rut in the bedroom.
Just two doses of a chemical called kisspeptin were found to boost men’s and women’s sex drive in two studies.
GettyThe hormone kisspeptin could be used to treat men and women with low sex drives, say scientists[/caption]
It also helped blokes rise to the occasion, giving them stronger erections.
Scientists at Imperial College London tested the treatment on 64 NHS patients unhappy with their sex lives.
Professor Waljit Dhillo said: “It was highly encouraging to see the same boosting effect in both women and men.”
Around one in five Brits have sex once a week or more, according to YouGov polls.
Read more on sex drive
Kisspeptin is a natural hormone that helps the brain focus on arousal and react to come-ons or signals from partners.
It also reduces shyness when someone gets turned on, by slowing activity in certain parts of the brain.
Writing in the journal Jama Network Open, scientists said low levels can make people too self-conscious or embarrassed to get frisky – or miss lovers’ cues altogether.
A study on 32 men found their erections increased by 56 per cent and scans showed their brains were more excited by erotic videos after treatment with kisspeptin.
They were also much more likely to be happy with their sex lives.
One 44-year-old participant called it life-changing and said: “The week I had the kisspeptin infusion we conceived our son.”
Separate research on women revealed extra brain activity in regions linked to passion.
And they reported feeling “more sexy” compared to those without the treatment.
Study author Dr Alexander Comninos said: “Low sexual desire can be distressing and have a major impact on relationships, mental health, and fertility.
“Even though it is relatively common, treatment options in women are limited and in men there are currently no treatments and none on the horizon.
“We provide the first evidence that kisspeptin is a potentially safe and effective therapy for both women and men with distressing low sexual desire.”
The scientists now plan to run larger trials to prove kisspeptin can be used to boost Brits’ sex lives.