In a column published in Irish Examiner, Suzi Godson, The Times’ sex and relationships columnist, said it is harmful to men who take Viagra for fun.
Citing a study conducted at the University of Texas in Austin in 2006, Godson explained the findings that showed men who used erectile dysfunction (ED) medications, such as Viagra (sildenafil), recreationally more likely to have erectile difficulties.
“Correlation is not causation, but a subsequent study by the same research team that looked at the mediating role of confidence found that recreational use of ED medication increased the chance of psychological dependence and was associated with lower confidence in achieving and maintaining erections,” she wrote, “which in turn was associated with lower erectile function.”
She even went on to say that buying Viagra online is risky unless the seller is a regulated pharmacy. She said the internet is full of unregulated online pharmacies selling fake Viagra.
Godson wrote, “Men who use Viagra recreationally are also more likely to take higher doses than they should and more is definitely not better.”
A study presented at the World Meeting on Sexual Medicine in 2013 found that “77% of Viagra, bought from 22 websites, was fake,” according to Godson. The fake Viagra tablets contained 30% to 50% of sildenafil citrate, and the rest had “blue printer ink, amphetamine, the antibiotic metronidazole, and drywall plaster.”
Godson explained, “Using Viagra should never be a unilateral decision” and it is important for partners to discuss.
“Erectile dysfunction is increasingly common in younger men and because it is related to underlying cardiovascular risk or conditions such as diabetes men under 40 who have weak or unreliable erections should see a doctor,” she added.
Godson launched the UK’s first broadsheet sex column in The Independent On Sunday in 2001 and moved to The Times in 2004. Her Times column is syndicated to the Irish Examiner. She is the author of The Sex Book, The Body Bible, and Sex Counsel.
