Viagra: Miracle Drug or Miracle Scam?

VIAGRA: MIRACLE DRUG OR MIRACLE SCAM?

Erectile dysfunction is a disorder in men that, over time, keeps men from either having or keeping an erection during sexual intercourse. Erectile dysfunction, or "ED" as it is commonly referred to, affects over 30 million men in the United States (Coon 607). ED can have a significant impact on one's life. Many men feel embarrassed about ED and avoid talking about it, especially to their partners. In return the intimacy between a couples will decrease and tension in the relationship can cause rifts and even divorce.

Previous treatments for ED included very embarrassing, painful, and often-expensive treatments that only had a small success rate. Some treatments included putting gel suppositories into the urethra and injecting drugs directly into the base of the penis. Other less painful treatments included vacuum pumps, penile implants, and penis rings. Then in 1998, a pharmaceutical company named Pfizer created a new oral treatment for ED called Viagra.

Men and hetairai in sexual intercourse.

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Viagra was a new and simple way to get an erection: the man takes one pill about an hour before any sexual stimulation and with the right "chemistry" between a couple, sexual intercourse will become successful. Despite public belief Viagra does not cause an instant erection. It merely makes an erection in a man with ED possible. Erections still must be achieved the old way and they do not make the erection any bigger or better than the average male.

As of June 2000, more than 7 million men have taken the drug. According to the Viagra website, "4 Viagra tablets are dispensed every second in the world" (www.viagra.com). But are the vast amounts of this drug distributed to millions of men safe?

According to Pfizer Inc., the drug is relatively safe. After three years of extensive research that included...