Love Notes

By Leslie Marcus

Untying the Knot

14,306: the number of married people in San Diego County who moved to Splitsville last year. Del Mar-based personality profiler Dr. Richard Levak says the main reason people divorce is due to a collapse in communication.

“When you’re living together and sharing a life together, sharing money, time and sex,” he says, “if you can’t problem-solve - and instead move to contempt, anger, blame and lying to get your needs met - that’s going to lead to divorce.”

23,021: the number of San Diegans who filed for a marriage license last year. How many of them were privy to Levak’s assessment?

Chemical Romance

Susan Goldstein, M.D., who runs clinical trials for San Diego Sexual Medicine at Alvarado Hospital, is currently treating women’s sexual problems with medications including Viagra, Levitra and Cialis, which are marketed and FDA-approved only for men.

“Right now, we are doing a trial for women who can’t reach orgasm,” Goldstein says. “We are really excited about this new drug that everyone is calling the ‘Pink Viagra.’ It’s Flibanserin, and we hope it will be FDA-approved this year, because the drug actually raises excitement and lowers inhibition.”

Mr. T

Having low testosterone levels can crush relationships. Guys, your levels begin to drop sooner than you may think - you may lose one percent per year starting from age 30. Given such a decline, after 35, most men are past their prime.

“Men that have low testosterone levels become grumpy old men,” says hormone specialist Melinda Silva, M.D. “Their mood can change, they can become impatient, and that’s not good for a relationship.” Silva treats men at her clinic in Chula Vista, where she helps get them back up to speed through testosterone creams, shots or pellets that are inserted under the skin.

Sex on the Brain

Oxytocin, known as the “love hormone,” is a neurotransmitter in the brain closely linked to orgasm. Getting excited? “It’s a fabulous drug,” says Irwin Goldstein, M.D., who does a monthly sex segment on the FOX 5 Morning Show. Oxytocin pills, which dissolve under the tongue, are said to help women lose inhibitions and have more orgasms.