Frequently, we are asked whether or not Spanish Fly is safe for pregnant women to take. While we like to play doctor from time to time, none of us have taken the Hippocratic Oath or put in the years of schooling it takes to become licensed, practicing medial doctors. We can, however, weigh the facts and issues surrounding this valid question in order for you to make an informed decision.

Let’s start with a brief history of the product itself and how it became synonymous with the aphrodisiac it is widely known for today.

Spanish Fly is an actual insect (a beetle) whose body produces a powerful, blister-inducing substance called Cantharidin. It is this substance that — for years, dating back to the Roman times of Augustus Caesar — was considered to have aphrodisiac-like properties because the substance itself has irritant effects on the genital and urinary tract areas of the body. With advances in medicine, by 1810, the substance was isolated by a French chemist and identified as toxic and poisonous. To this day, it is illegal in most countries. Through modern medicine, though, Cantharidin has been mimicked in the lab (minus the toxicity and poisons) and is still used to some degree — mainly in the product we today call Spanish Fly.

Modern day Spanish Fly (for her / for him) consists of a multitude of ingredients that, while not FDA-regulated, are categorized as safe, homeopathic, herbal supplements. Ingredients like Glycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Saccharin, Citric Acid and water are all compounded in Spanish Fly, and are good for your body in certain dosages. As with anything, depending on the brand you buy, this list can vary. Add to that a fruit-flavored Spanish Fly and you will be adding another ingredient to the supplement.

Now, let’s combine what we know about Spanish Fly with what we know about pregnancy.

Doctors generally concur that sex during pregnancy is safe. Certain factors will disrupt a woman’s ability to have sex during pregnancy, though, such as the psychological causes of a decreased sex drive including depression, stress, and anxiety, or physical causes such as hormonal changes. Sometimes the medications taken during pregnancy can interfere with the sex drive too.

Common sense says listen and pay attention to your body. If you are healthy enough to be pregnant and healthy enough to have sex, than you are wise enough to include your doctor in this decision. Now that you are thinking of the little one too, you wouldn’t want to do anything potentially harmful. A good suggestion is to bring the above list of ingredients to your doctor and see what he or she thinks about sex and Spanish Fly during pregnancy.