Erectile-dysfunction drugs such as Viagra and its newer rivals, Levitra and Cialis, were developed and intended for those suffering from erectile dysfunction due to age or any number of medical or psychological conditions.

The common view is that ED is an 'old man' problem and by extension that all users under 30 must be taking the drugs for recreational purposes. There is some evidence to suggest that these pharmaceuticals have caught on as recreational drugs in some circumstances and that men who have never suffered from impotence or performance anxiety, are using ED treatments anyway, in some cases as an insurance policy against the effects of alcohol, in others simply to enhance endurance.

There are also reports of Viagra being combined with ecstasy in drug club culture to produce an aphrodisiac drug called 'sextasy'. According to James Kirby, a spokesman for Firstmed, an online impotence clinic, " most worrying is the trend amongst many in the gay community of mixing Viagra and Amyl nitrate(otherwise known as 'poppers'). Combining the two chemicals can cause dangerously low blood pressure. Anyone who usese amyl nitrate is denied treatment as a result.

However, the reality is that not all under 30's are taking ED treatments for recreational purposes. Indeed, Pfizer contends that if someone can feel the effect of Viagra, then they, by definition, have lost some sexual function. Sexual function starts to fade in the 20s."Viagra helps to improve erectile function which isn't optimal, "says Pfizer's Dr. Sweeney. "If you're a 20-year-old college guy with no diseases and you have great erectile function, it's not going to do anything for you. It can't make it go beyond normal."

In young men in particular, ED treatments may help to alleviate performance anxiety. A third of ED cases are due to psychological reasons, significant psychological and social components such as guilt, depression, anxiety, tension or marital discord may affect the erectile ability of a man of any age. The presence of ED will normally cause some anxiety which, in turn, will make it more difficult to get an erection next time – and so on. This 'domino' effect is a common cause of temporary impotence and most sexually active men will experience at some point in their lives.

The strong psychological component to maintaining a satisfactory erection, means that ED treatments can be effective in men of all ages and it is not valid to assume that all users under a certain age are recreational ones. While it is true that the likelihood of erectile dysfunction does increase with years, ED is far from being a problem faced strictly by men over a certain age.

---