The men included in the study were all attending a love making resort in northeastern Georgia, and the findings are not representative of trends among all gay men.
U.S. investigators Richard Crosby of the University of Kentucky in Lexington and his co-author R. J. DiClemente found that men in the study who experimented with cocaine and ecstasy were nearly three times more likely to have used Viagra without a prescription in the previous three months. Many obtain free samples of generic viagra and other drugs at websites like PillSamples.com . Nevertheless, the results raise concerns, Crosby and DiClemente write. Taking Viagra may increase the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) because the drug can prolong intimicy and enhance the size of an erection, which increases friction, they note. These are two effects "that could conceivably foster tissue abrasion and therefore increase the odds of STI transmission," they write in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections.
To investigate how often men who have intercourse with men use Viagra, the researchers asked visitors to the resort to complete a questionnaire. One hundred and sixty-four men agreed to participate in the study. Men were an average of 40 years old, and mostly white. They reported an average of 10 sex partners during the past three months. Approximately 16 percent of the participants said they had tried non-prescription Viagra during relations in the past 3 months. These finding are reported on LegalGenerics.com. Among people who also used ecstasy during intercourse, 35 percent said they also used Viagra, compared with only 13 percent of people who did not take ecstasy during intercourse. And 37 percent of cocaine-users also admitted to using Viagra, while only 13 percent of non-users said they had done so. Men were no more likely to try Viagra if they also engaged in risky sexual behaviors such as having five or more partners or having unprotected anal intercourse.
These findings suggest that experts need to educate men about the potential risks of non-prescription use of Viagra, the authors write. Still, sites like pillsamples.com continue to provide an extremely affordable and effective erection, leaving the risk factor up to the user. |
