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Fulfilling and Dashing Hopes with Sildenafil

Sildenafil advertising could be generating unrealistic expectations among men with erectile dysfunction.

To explore the psychosocial dimensions of erectile dysfunction and treatment with sildenafil (Viagra), researchers interviewed 40 men who had undergone such treatment in the previous 12 months at a men's health clinic in Britain.

Most interviewees reported initially reacting to erectile dysfunction with feelings of emasculation, depression, or a drop in self-confidence. Most first heard about sildenafil through the media and had high expectations for treatment, including instant relief or complete cure. Many of the 20 men in whom treatment had been successful reported subsequent happiness or a "return to manhood." Nineteen of the 20 men in whom treatment had been unsuccessful reported severe disappointment; many attributed this disappointment to exaggerated media claims.

Comment: An important finding from this study is that erectile dysfunction has powerful psychosocial effects on men. But another important finding is that media hype has led to unrealistic expectations about success rates with sildenafil. In some cases, a sense of having been misled by the media can heighten the disappointment associated with unsuccessful treatment. At the time of publication, the full text of the original article was available free of charge.

— Keith I. Marton, MD

Published in Journal Watch General Medicine June 8, 2004

Citation(s):

Tomlinson JM and Wright D. Impact of erectile dysfunction and its subsequent treatment with sildenafil: Qualitative study. BMJ 2004 May 1; 328:1037-9.

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