Almost half of men aged between 40 and 70 suffer from erectile dysfunction in the UK – that’s around 4.3 million people.
But reports suggest that the “little blue pill” is now becoming more popular among younger people in their twenties and thirties.
A 2020 survey of 5,000 men conducted for Upjohn, the maker of Viagra Connect, the over-the-counter version of the drug, found that 18 percent of 18- to 24-year-old men have erectile dysfunction.
And recently, the ease of obtaining the drug without a prescription seems to be fueling its popularity among a younger audience.
More than 60% of Britons who use it are aged 25-54, according to figures from pharmaceutical company Viatris seen by The Independent this week.
Reports indicate that the “little blue pill” is becoming more popular among younger people in their twenties and thirties
The publication adds that Viagra Connect sold more than seven million tablets in the UK from May 2020 to May 2021.
An online pharmacist also told the outlet: “Of our erectile dysfunction user base, nine percent are in their twenties and 21 percent are in their thirties.”
Reports in recent years indicate that professionals say they have seen individuals as young as 16 years old showing interest in the drug.
Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2020, a specialist nurse from the Sex Advice Association said: “I’ve been in this field for 27 years and 20 per cent of my erectile dysfunction patients are now under 30, compared to two per cent 20 years ago… I see 16 year old boys and quite a few young men in their 20s.
But what does Viagra actually do? Who can use it, what are the side effects – and why is it so popular?
Here’s everything you need to know about the drug.
Viagra was originally made by the Covid vaccine manufacturer Pfizer in 1989 with the hope that sildenafil citrate could treat high blood pressure
WHAT IS VIAGRA?
Most men occasionally struggle to get or keep an erection due to stress, fatigue, anxiety or drinking too much alcohol.
But up to one in five men in the UK (4.3 million) suffer from erectile dysfunction – when it persists.
It can be caused by high blood pressure or cholesterol, hormonal problems, or side effects of medications.
Medicines containing sildenafil, originally developed to treat angina, are often used to treat the condition. Dilates blood vessels and increases blood flow to the genitals.
Viagra was originally created by the Covid vaccine manufacturer Pfizer in 1989 with the hope that sildenafil citrate could treat high blood pressure.
But clinical trials in Wales a few years later found that men reported an unusual side effect – they got more erections while taking the drug.
The drug was approved in the US and the EU in 1998, called Viagra, and became one of the fastest-selling drugs of all time.
The drug was approved in the US and the EU in 1998, called Viagra, and became one of the fastest-selling drugs of all time
WHERE CAN YOU GET IT?
Unbranded sildenafil may be available from the NHS to treat erectile dysfunction or pulmonary hypertension.
Branded versions – such as Viagra – can only be given in exceptional circumstances. You can also get the drug through a private prescription, but the pills are also available without a prescription.
Just this summer, Boots began selling its own brand of Viagra, in a move welcomed by doctors amid the cost of living crisis.
The pharmacist is now offering a four-pack of impotence pills for £14.99 – £5 cheaper than the original version.
The rise and rise of Viagra
1989
The pharmaceutical company Pfizer is developing a compound called sildenafil citrate that it hopes will treat high blood pressure.
1993
When it was tested in Wales, one tester mentioned that he got more erections while using it. Others say, “So do we!” This is a breakthrough moment.
March 1998
The drug – now under the brand name Viagra – was approved in the US as the first pharmaceutical product for erectile dysfunction. It quickly became one of the fastest selling drugs of all time, with 10,000 prescriptions issued per day.
September 1998
Viagra gets European license. From July 1999, the NHS started prescribing Viagra to men with co-morbid conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or prostate cancer – but Viagra is more widely available by private prescription or from overseas providers on the internet.
July 1999
In Sex and the City, the man-crusher Samantha dates a rich older man who pops the blue pills. Viagra later starred in Ally McBeal and Law & Order.
April 2004
The UK’s first ‘Viagra divorce’ has been granted when a middle-aged woman claimed the drug made her husband ‘sexually aggressive’.
2007
In England, there are 1,838,687 prescription items for erectile dysfunction.
Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas
January 2010
Michael Douglas says he’s glad his wife likes older men and praises the drug: “In the last few years there have been some wonderful improvements – Viagra, Cialis – that can make us feel younger.” He also gets own movie: Love and Other Medicines with Jake Gyllenhaal as a Viagra salesman.
Michael Douglas praises Viagra for “making us all feel younger”. “God bless her for liking older men,” he says of his wife, the actress Catherine Zeta Jones. “In the last few years there have been some wonderful improvements – Viagra, Cialis – that can make us feel younger.”
June 2013
Viagra’s European patent is about to expire, so with the unbranded drug sildenafil available at 93 per cent less, the NHS is allowing prescriptions for a wider range of male impotence cases.
2017
The number of prescription items for erectile dysfunction has grown to 4,223,282.
march 2018
Viagra is becoming legally available to men over 18 through pharmacy and over-the-counter websites such as Viagra Connect.
September 2018
Online health company Zava admits it has stockpiled one million Viagra pills in case Brexit disrupts medical supplies.
Also available online. However, the NHS website warns: “Be very careful if you do this as many websites sell fake medicines.”
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“It is best to consult your doctor before buying medicines online. They know your medical history and can discuss whether you might benefit from treatment.
WHO CAN USE IT?
Most men over the age of 18 can take sildenafil to treat erectile dysfunction, but adults and children (one year and older) can also take the drug for pulmonary hypertension.
However, the NHS advises that it is not suitable for everyone, including people with serious heart or liver problems, recent stroke or heart attack victims and people with low blood pressure.
See the full list here.
WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS?
Common side effects may include headache, hot flashes, nausea, indigestion, dizziness, and stuffy nose.
More serious possible side effects are painful erections (especially if they last more than two hours), seizures and chest pain.
An allergic reaction is also possible, along with all those listed in the leaflet that comes with your medicine.
WHY ARE MORE MEN TURNING TO VIAGRA?
Many of the new generation of teenagers and young adults using Viagra are otherwise physically fit who use it as a prop to ensure sexual performance.
In recent years, however, doctors have warned that others may suffer from sexual difficulties and impotence caused by obesity and obesity-related type 2 diabetes.
It’s a problem previously only seen in much older patients, and it’s cause for concern, Ian Eardley, professor of urology at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, told the Daily Mail in 2020.
However, there are a number of reasons why young men can be affected by problems in the bedroom, including increased use of pornography, excessive drinking and drug use, as this means they need more stimulation to make things happen.
Doctors are now increasingly aware that erectile dysfunction (ED) can be a sign of an underlying disease – and fear that young men may be prescribing Viagra. As a result, the real cause of their problems remains untreated, even though it is treatable.
“There is no doubt that type 2 diabetes causes it and a 30-year-old diabetic is at least two or three times more likely to have erectile dysfunction than a non-diabetic,” Professor Eardley said.
Elsewhere this April, Canadian experts found that regular use of the common erectile dysfunction pill Viagra may increase the risk of three serious eye diseases.
Three other impotence drugs — Cialis, Levitra and Spedra — have also been cited as potential causes of eye problems.
They found that the drugs can cause sudden vision loss, flashes of light and dark spots or “floaters” in those who take them.
The increase in blood flow to the genitals with the pills can impede its supply to the eyes, which experts suggest may be the cause.
Lead researcher Dr. Mahyar Etminan, an ophthalmologist at the University of British Columbia, said people who use the drugs and develop vision problems should “seek medical attention.”
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU TAKE TOO MUCH?
Viagra has a variety of side effects that vary in severity. According to Medical Daily, too much of the drug can lead to a painful, “uncomfortably and disproportionately large erection” called priapism, which can last for hours.
According to the NHS website, if not treated promptly, it can cause permanent damage to the penis.
It is recommended to seek medical attention if the erection lasts more than two hours. In the hospital, the patient may be treated with “pills or injections directly into your penis,” or the blood may be drained from the area through a needle or surgery.
NHS guidance also says that priapism “may improve on its own within two hours” and suggests that there are things you can do to try to reduce the erection.
Go pee, take a warm bath or shower, drink…
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