You get a phone call from a doctor. “Is this Mrs. Smith?” the doctor asks. You think it might be strange that the doctor would even know your name, let alone ask you to pick up a tablet at a drugstore. But you also know that the doctor is trying to save your life, so you do as he asks. You pick up the tablet, walk to the pharmacy, and ask for liquid diet coke. You take the drink, walk home, and pop the pill. You feel nothing, but it was probably the best decision you ever made.
That’s how most people feel about taking Viagra, a drug that has fundamentally changed the way people think about sex and their sex lives.
The truth is, Viagra is one of the most popular drugs in the world. It’s probably the most popular drug among older men, particularly in America. A whopping 27.2 million prescriptions were written in 2012, a number that was up sharply from the previous year. But the drug is getting popular throughout the world, not just among older men.
How Did Viagra Get Popular?
It all started in the early 1990s, when the drug was first approved by the FDA. Since then, it’s been a popular choice for men with erectile dysfunction, the inability to achieve or maintain an erection, even in the presence of sexual arousal. The side effects are usually mild, and most men experience benefits within a few weeks of starting treatment. And since erectile dysfunction is very common among older men, particularly those who are concerned about preserving their sexual performance as they get older, many doctors have begun to prescribe Viagra to their older patients.
The drug was developed by Pfizer. Back in 1985, the company was seeking a treatment for angina, an inflammation of the blood vessels that leads to chest pain, particularly during exercise. While taking the drug, the pain is relieved, and the patient gains energy. After much testing and research, the company came up with a new treatment for heart disease: Viagra. The treatment was a massive hit, and in 1992 Pfizer became the first pharmaceutical company to ever reach a billion-dollar market share. In 2012, Pfizer sold a 61% stake in the company for $11.2 billion.
The Biggest Market For Viagra
Nowadays, Viagra is a multibillion-dollar industry. The market research firm, Market Research Inc., estimates that 27.2 million prescriptions were written for the drug in 2012, up from 23.6 million in 2011 and 19.8 million in 2010. And that’s not all. According to the firm, 20.4 million Americans are currently taking the drug, and Market Research Inc. expects that number to reach 27.2 million by next year. Here’s why:
First, there’s the side effect factor. Since Viagra was approved for use in the United States in 1991, the FDA has approved over 100 variations of the drug, including extended-release versions and versions for children and pregnant women. All of these variations are meant to enhance the effectiveness of the drug while minimizing the side effects. Thanks to these variations, Viagra is now available in many different forms, including oral solution, tablets, and as injections, to name just a few.
Since the drug is so popular among older men, who are more likely to experience erectile dysfunction as they get older, there’s also been a major push to develop treatments for Viagra’s secondary effect: depression. Clinical trials have shown that men with erectile dysfunction who are also suffering from depression have significantly better response rates to the drug than those who aren’t depressed. This is why Viagra is so popular among older men: not only does it help them get to the point of erecting, but it also helps them sleep and reduces their depression, which is very common among this population. Imagine how many men are going to be helped by this combination of problems!
The Rise Of “Sexually Active Men”
While Viagra has been around for over 25 years, and is one of the most popular drugs in history, the trend towards more active sexual lives, and the stigma that often comes along with that, is relatively new. In fact, one of the earliest mentions of Viagra in a newspaper article was back in 1995, when the drug was first approved in the United States. Since then, the stigma associated with not being “sexually active” enough has lessened, and today many men are able to accept that they are not “always” going to be able to get an erection, or that they may not be able to maintain one for as long as they would like. This, in turn, has made Viagra, and the desire for more active sex lives, more popular. Thanks to increased acceptance, more and more men are looking to treat their erectile dysfunction with the drug. And the industry is reaping the benefits: the drug’s market share, for example, hit an all-time high of 62.9% in 2012, up from 59.5% the year before.
The Growth Of The Internet
Thanks to the influence of the internet, and social media in particular, the topic of sexual health has largely been removed from the closet, and is now a major factor in people’s self-image and how they choose to present themselves to the world.
In the past, if a man had concerns about his sexual health he would usually have to face them alone. Social pressures, particularly from his peers, would make it hard for him to open up about his sex life, let alone try a new treatment that he was skeptical about. Today, with the stigma that often comes along with being “not sexual enough” gone, more and more men are looking to try something new to increase their pleasure in bed, and that often means exploring new treatments, and new medications, particularly for erectile dysfunction. This, too, has helped fuel the drug’s recent growth.
What About The Side Effects?
While there are many advantages to Viagra, there are also some very real (and very common) side effects. The most serious side effect is priapism, the painful persistence of an erection that can lead to permanent damage of the penile tissue, particularly if it goes untreated. Other side effects, like headaches, dizziness, and nasal irritation, are also pretty common, and just as problematic. These side effects, however, are generally mild, and most men will only experience them, if at all, within the first few weeks of treatment.
Because of these side effects and risks, as well as the fact that the medicine needs to be managed and monitored by a doctor, many men are understandably hesitant to try the drug. It’s definitely a “take it or leave it” kind of decision, and one that should be made only after careful consideration.
More Ways To Increase Pleasure
If you’re looking for a way to increase your sexual pleasure without risking your health, there are some other alternatives that you might want to explore. Instead of popping a pill, you could try one of these: