Sex File: Is taking Viagra for fun harmful?

Mon, 01 Feb, 2021 - 22:00

Suzi Godson

My boyfriend, who is 36, takes Viagra even though he doesn't need to. I don't think he needs it but he says he likes it because it makes him feel like a teenager again. Are there any long-term effects? Is there a danger that he will become reliant on it for a good sex life?

The answer to both your questions is yes. A study conducted at the University of Texas in Austin in 2006 showed that men who used an erectile dysfunction medication (EDM) such as Viagra recreationally were two and a half times 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 EDM increased the chance of psychological dependence and was associated with lower confidence in achieving and maintaining erections, which in turn was associated with lower erectile function.

Since your boyfriend doesn't have a diagnosis of erectile dysfunction, he is unlikely to be getting his pills from a doctor. Unless the seller is a regulated pharmacy, buying online is risky because the internet is awash with counterfeit Viagra.

Research presented at the World Meeting on Sexual Medicine in 2013 found that 77% of Viagra, bought from 22 websites, was fake. The tablets contained between 30 and 50 % of the active ingredient sildenafil, and the rest was made up of, in no particular order, blue printer ink, amphetamine, the antibiotic metronidazole and drywall plaster.

Men who use Viagra recreationally are also more likely to take higher doses than they should and more is definitely not better. Increased blood flow does not confine itself to the genitals and going puce in the face, having a pounding heart and a throbbing headache are not sexy side-effects.

In men who do have erectile dysfunction, Viagra plus sexual desire leads to greater firmness. However, in healthy young men the main impact seems to be on the refractory period - the time it takes for a man to have another erection after he has climaxed.

Indeed, in a study conducted by Professor Nicola Mondaini at the University of Florence, there was no reported improvement in the quality of erection between healthy young men who were given a 25mg tablet of Viagra or a placebo one hour before sex. In the Viagra group, one man out of a group of 30 reported that taking the pill made it easier for him to achieve erection and seven reported that the drug made them more rigid. In the placebo group, three men reported that the pill made it easier to achieve erection and eight reported that it made them firmer.

These results demonstrate the power of the placebo effect. What was marked was that in the group of men taking Viagra the refractory period decreased from 14.9 minutes before taking the treatment to 5.5 minutes after taking it.

Being ready for sex again more quickly might make your boyfriend feel like a teenager, but what does his Viagra habit mean for you? Does he even ask you if you want to have sex before he pops a pill? And if so, what happens if you say no?

Does his need to "enhance'' his sexual experience leave you feeling less confident about his desire for you?

Using Viagra should never be a unilateral decision and it is important that you let him know how his habit makes you feel. If you talk to him, you may find that he isn't just using it for 'fun'. 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.