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Q
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Erectile DysfunctionIf you were to believe all the advertisements on television these days, you would figure that Erectile Dysfunction was about as common as getting the flu. You would also be aware that there was an easy remedy to the problem in the form of an oral medication. Do you think the two might be somehow linked?! The fact is that true ED, what used to be called impotence, is much more rare in healthy adult men than we are being led to believe. The advertisements generally depict a fit, early 40ish man having difficulties telling his doctor that he is having a hard (or rather, not) time in the bedroom. This is absolutely not the stereotypical model for someone experiencing Erectile Dysfunction. In fact, the Journal of the American Medical Association's 1999 study states that only 5% of males between the ages of 18 and 59 ever experience true ED. So, what have the drug companies done to justify their claim that 1 in 3 or 33&1/3 percent of adult males suffer from this malady? Well, the inclusion of elderly gentlemen in the survey would obviously skew the statistic, but beyond that, have you noticed that they are calling it "Erectile Difficulties"? Perhaps you thought that this was out of mere political correctness. The fact is, Erectile Dysfunction is a medical condition - "Erectile Difficulties" can be whatever they feel like including in the definition. In my country, Canada, there are frequent advertisements outlining where to obtain information on ED which seem designed to look as though they were produced by a government or perhaps public health organization. There is no mention of any drug company, and indeed the inherent low production values would seem to preclude their involvement. When you travel to the web address mentioned at the end of the ad, you again come to an informational portal designed to give you the warm and fuzzy impression that no drug companies are involved. When you take the diagnostic test they have included online however, you will have a very high probability, if you are at all concerned in this area, of having the result come back that you possibly are experiencing "Erectile Difficulties" and are referred to a page which includes a telephone number which will allow you to speak with a nurse about your "problem" and a list of helpful links which you are warned will be updated regularly - so you might want to bookmark this page. Unfortunately, the list seems to include only one link so far - Pfizer, the maker's of Viagra's home page. Well, that seems ok, you think to yourself, after all, the product does have to do with the supposed malady. I therefore decided to call a nurse, utilizing the number that the site supplied. I queried her "I have only one question, is this service paid for by Pfizer?" "Yes" was the reply.  |
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