Aphrodisiacs, Viagra, and other sex hacks seldom provide a solution to the most common sexual woes. The not-so-sexy truth is no real scientific data support the pop culture myth of chocolates, oysters, or little blue pills boosting libido. However, science may have mistakenly unveiled a new sex secret that can help both men and women in the bedroom, according to AsapSCIENCE “Can Science Improve Your Sex Life?”

Sexual dysfunction plagues an estimated 43 percent of women and 31 percent of men in the U.S. The numbers are said to be even higher for those over 50. Currently, Viagra facilitates the ability for a man to get an erection, but it doesn’t make a man feel more aroused. The blue pill works to inhibit an enzyme so the blood flow to the penis increases and only acts on the peripheral nervous system. "So popping the blue pill won't incease libido nor will an erection occur without initial stimulation," say Mitchell Moffit and Greggory Brown of AsapSCIENCE. "Not to mention, it has no effect on women."

Scientists have found melanocortin, a specific protein inthe brain which can control skin pigmentation, can actually regulate sexual function in male and female humans while creating sunless tanning agents. A 2005 study published in the journal Peptides found melanotan II (MTII) can enhance erectile activity in males and increase levels of sexual desire and genital arousal in females. Moreover, unlike sexual-enhancement drugs, MTII works at the level of the brain eliciting a natural sexual response with minimal or no side effects.

Surprisingly, this drug is being effectively administered as a nasal spray. However, it hasn’t been approved or regulated anywhere in the world as a sexual-enhancement drug. Currently, bremelanotide, its derivative, is undergoing human clinical trials as a potential treatment for a myriad of sexual disorders, such as female sexual arousal disorder. Both women and men alike can sexually benefit from this drug, since its main effects take place in the central nervous system. This could be a scientific breakthrough for various sexual disorders that plague men and women in the bedroom.

Until its release, lay the pop culture myths to rest and let science handle the sex.