Gay Men May Be Misusing Viagra

Approximately one out of six gay men use Viagra recreationally, and are more likely to do so if they are also using illegal drugs, new research indicates.

U.S. investigators Richard Crosby of the University of Kentucky in Lexington and his co-author R. J. DiClemente found that men who experimented with cocaine and ecstasy were nearly three times more likely to have used Viagra without a prescription in the previous three months.

However, the authors caution that the men included in the study were all attending a sex resort.

Nevertheless, the results raise concerns, Crosby and DiClemente write. Taking Viagra may increase the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) because the drug can prolong sex and enhance the size of an erection, which increases friction, they note.

These are two effects "that could conceivably foster tissue abrasion and therefore increase the odds of STI transmission," they write in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections.

To investigate how often men who have sex with men use Viagra, the researchers asked visitors to the sex resort to complete a questionnaire. One hundred and sixty-four men agreed to participate in the study.

Men were an average of 40 years old, and mostly white. They reported an average of 10 sex partners during the past three months.

Approximately 16 percent of the participants said they had tried non-prescription Viagra during sex in the past 3 months.

Among people who also used ecstasy during sex, 35 percent said they also used Viagra, compared with only 13 percent of people who did not take ecstasy during sex. And 37 percent of cocaine-users also admitted to using Viagra, while only 13 percent of non-users said they had done so.

Men were no more likely to try Viagra if they also engaged in risky sexual behaviors such as having five or more sex partners or having unprotected anal sex.

These findings suggest that experts need to educate men about the potential risks of non-prescription use of Viagra, the authors write.

SNL did a pardy of this ad last weekend. The product was called Dr. Porkenheimer's Boner Juice:

Woman: Are you ready to make the move to a strong and more lasting experience? Now you have a choice. If you're already on an ED treatment, maybe it's time for something new. Many ED specialists are recommending Dr. Porkenheimer's Boner Juice [dissolve to title screen with flame background: "Dr. Porkenheimer's (Boner Juice)"] for a stronger and more lasting experience. [dissolve to woman, shot widens to show that she is sitting on a bed, and a man joins her and places an arm affectionately around her shoulder] Bigger, and stronger. [chuckles] And more meaty. [dissolve to title screen with flame background: "MEATY"] [dissolve to woman] And there's no rush to perform. [dissolve to a goldfish in a fishbowl] It's boners when you feel right. [dissolve to woman] Giant ones. That are thick and sturdy. [dissolve to title screen with flame background: "THICK", "STURDY"] [dissolve to woman] Ask your doctor about a thicker, heavier, longer sexual experience. It's what Dr. Porkenheimer's Boner Juice is all about.

[dissolve to a montage of scenes during disclaimer]

Narrator: [voice over] [woman is getting ready to leave when man beckons her to the bed] Dr. Porkenheimer's Boner Juice is only for men healthy enough for sexual activity. [woman joins man on bed, and he kisses her hand] Do not take Boner Juice if you take nitrates for chest pains, [pan across bedroom while the bed bangs loudly on its springs] or alpha blockers for prostate problems or high blood pressure, [objects shake with the repeated impacts] as this may cause an unsafe drop in high blood pressure. [the hands of a clock race from 8 o'clock to 5 o'clock within seconds] If erection lasts less than four hours, [fishbowl shakes particularly violently] up the dosage by as much as you like. [a candle burns on a shelf]

[dissolve to woman, now with bare shoulders and looking very disheveled]

Woman: My guy? Yeah, he's happy with his boner. [shot widens to show that she is wrapped in the bedsheets, and the man is next to her with a very large erection tenting the sheet]

Narrator: In the rare case the erection should last more than twenty-four hours, call a friend and brag about it. Dr. Porkenheimer's Boner Juice. [dissolve to title screen with flame background: "Dr. Porkenheimer's (Boner Juice)"]

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