On Thursday afternoon, a key advisory committee for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted 18-6 to approve a drug called flibanserin, which manufacturer Sprout Pharmaceuticals says could help women who suffer from a low or non-existent sex drive. Although the agency could still reject the drug, it usually follows recommendations from its committees.

The final decision is expected by the end of summer.

Flibarnserin has failed to make the FDA cut twice before because it's not all that effective and can cause nausea, dizziness, and sleepiness, the New York Times reports. This time, however, the pill was pushed by various women's groups and their leaders (some in cooperation with Sprout), who said that not letting women decide for themselves was tantamount to sexism.

Women who suffer from what's known as Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder, as well as practitioners who treat it, testified in front of the committee Thursday. They underscored the fact the condition is distressing, and that while there are 25 medicines to treat sexual dysfunction in men, no such thing exists for women.

One medical professional stood up in front of the panel and said that when her patients ask for help, "This is all I can tell them." She stood in front of the microphone in silence for several minutes, the Washington Post reports.

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