CHICAGO: Erectile dysfunction, a condition that normally afflicts older men, can be a problem among young males too and there is evidence of increasing use among them of drugs like Viagra along with alcohol or illegal recreational drugs, a new study carried out by researchers from Children's Memorial Hospital and Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, in Chicago, has found.
While the extent of the use of Viagra and similar drugs among the youth is largely unknown, the results of the study, which covered 234 sexually active men in the 18-25 age group attending three Chicago universities, indicate that these drugs are being used by a large group.
The researchers said 13 per cent of the young men covered by the study reported that they had experienced erectile dysfunction, but hardly discussed the issue with a medical practitioner.
Lead researcher for the study Dr Najah Senno Musacchio, a fellow in general academic pediatrics at the Children's Memorial Hospital, said 25 per cent of the men, who were asked about erectile dysfunction when using a condom, said they lost an erection while putting on the condom. "These men were four times less likely to use condoms consistently, and five times more likely to have six or more sex partners in the last year," she said.
This is a public health issue because failure to use a condom can lead to transmitting a sexually transmitted disease, she added.
Six per cent of the men who participated in the survey said they had used medications for erectile dysfunction -- 57 per cent said they used the drugs to treat erectile dysfunction and 29 per cent used them to enhance sexual performance.
Another disturbing trend found by the researchers is that nearly 64 per cent of these man mixed the medications with alcohol, methamphetamine, cocaine and ecstasy. Musacchio said these drugs increase one's sex drive, reduce inhibitions, but they may make one less likely to sexually perform. "When people mix those drugs with Viagra, they may be able to have sex when they couldn't normally do so. This is of concern for transmission of STDs and unwanted pregnancies," she said.
Most of the men surveyed said they never got Viagra under a prescription. Nearly 54 per cent reported they got it from friends or through the internet.
Musacchio said this is a challenge for health care workers. The onus is on them to ask their young patients if they are using erectile dysfunction medications. "And if they are, they should be counseled on the hazards of using these medications with other substances."
The findings of the study, the first of its kind, were presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in San Francisco.
These findings are corroborated by independent studies. Boston-based urologist specializing in sexual medicine Dr Irwin Goldstein said more younger men suffer from erectile dysfunction than people might think. He says an estimated 20 per cent to 25 per cent college-aged males have some sort of sexual problem. And if a study is to be conducted on men who use alcohol, the number could be higher.
Musacchio said the survey is limited in scope because of its smaller sample size and its restricting to a relatively select population of men.
