Sexuality - Viagra Offers Men Some Help

An estimated 10 to 20 million men are thought to have an inability to achieve and/or sustain satisfactory erections in the United States. Some sources have placed this figure even higher. One in 10 men are thought to have erectile dysfunction worldwide (what was once called impotence).

Viagra was seen as a wonder drug when it first became available in April 1998. Until that time, men often had to use pumps or injection therapies for sexual intercourse. In its first three months on the market, Viagra sales hit $411 million and 3 million prescriptions were written. It is the second highest prescription drug launch in health care history (Celebrex beat it roughly a year alter).

A great deal of snickering was done in the media in their coverage. Women were now going to have to "fight off" their suddenly randy husbands, we were told. Senator Bob Dole's admission that he was using the drug offered even more opportunity for jokes. One article opened in this way: "Former Senator Bob Dole thinks Viagra is the greatest thing since the invention of the wheel. And he ought to know…he's lived to see both in a single lifetime."

After the initial rush of men to their urologists, the number of prescriptions did fall. In July 1998, a total of 891,000 prescriptions were filled, with 517,000 being new and 374,000 refills. By January 1999, the numbers had fallen, with a total of 676,000 prescriptions written, only 268,000 being new and 408,000 refills.

There are several reasons this. The drug probably did not prove effective for some men. Some men might have been alarmed by the 242 reports of fatal heart attacks suffered by Viagra users, although the drug was never proven to have any link to the deaths. Others might have been turned off by the expense. The pills cost about $10 each, and some insurance carriers do not provide coverage. But men were clearly using the drug. By the end of 1999, a reported one out of three doctors had written a prescription for Viagra.

The number of prescriptions has increased recently. Pfizer, the maker of the drug, has recently boosted ad spending for Viagra, helping it achieve the household name status that other branded drugs enjoy (just to provide a little context, 44 million prescriptions were written for Lipitor in 2000, 25 million for Claritin, 23.4 million for Zoloft and 12.2 million for Viagra). Advertising may help explain the increase in new prescriptions in recent years. It could also be that more men are simply finally coming forward.

The erectile dysfunction market will become all the more important with our aging male population. The average age of a Viagra user is 55. According to the Census, there is expected to be 29.5 million in this age group in 2005 and 34 million in 2010. Such numbers don't even include the number of younger men who need the drug.

Viagra also raises another interesting point. What about sexual dysfunction in women? (Viagra has not been shown to aid women's sexual performance). According to a recent Journal of the American Medical Association article, 43% of women experienced dys- function in their sex lives. According to many in the health care field, research is already under way on medication to benefit them.

Sources: Chamberlain, Claudine. "Happy Birthday, Viagra." Rose Pike. "Better than Cigars" both Retrieved August 6, 2002 from http://www.abcnews.go.com; "All Signs are Good for OTC Sales in Wake of Huge Viagra Success." Drug Store News, June 22, 1998, p. 53. Andrew Humphreys. "Marketer of the Year." Med Ad News, March 2002, p. 6; Frank Scussa "Making History." Med Ad News, March 2000, p. 3. "Facts About Erectile Dysfunction." Retrieved August 6, 2002 from http://www.mmhc-online.com. "Heavy Hitters of 2000." Drug Topics, April 16, 2001, p. 30.