A recent study undertaken by medical researchers establishes a clear positive relationship between Erectile Dysfunction (ED) drugs and Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) incidence among men. The study report was published in the August 17, 2010 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.
The study, headed by Dr. Anupam Jena of Massachusetts General Hospital, examined the medical claims filed from 1997 to 2006 by over a million men 40 years of age or older. Among that population were almost 40,000 men whose records included the prescribing of ED medications.
The study results showed that the men who obtained ED prescriptions were more than twice as likely to contract a STD as those that did not, either before or after the use of the medication. The most-reported STDs were HIV, Chlamydia, and Syphilis, in that order.
The website “WebMD,” in reviewing the study report, noted that the data source did not include any available information regarding the sexual practices of the individuals in either group. Because of this constraint, the connection between ED medication usage and the increased risk of exposure associated with a greater number of sexual partners cannot be scientifically demonstrated in the study.
The data does show, however, that the greater-than-2-to-1 STD ratio between ED medication users and non-users applies to both the time frames before AND after the commencement of ED drug treatment. This data can be taken to imply that older men who have sought, or who will eventually seek, ED medications also engage in sex with more partners than the male population in general.
Previous studies indicate that STD rates among younger men are 10 times that of men over 40; however, the relative rate for the older group has increased in recent years. The substantial increase in STD rates may be linked to a number of factors, including availability of ED medications and the expected increase in sexual activity. Increased divorce rates and the resultant exposure to new partners may also have an influence on the increasing rates.
Population data obtained outside the study also shows an increase in STD incidence over the 10 years during which the study was conducted. It is thought that this trend is directly related to the increased availability of ED drugs, and their growing acceptance within the American culture. Many men choose to purchase ED drugs, such as Viagra, online.
Lack of pregnancy risk is often cited as a factor in the lower rate of condom usage among older sex partners when compared to younger sexually active people. That statistic, when related to the results of the recent study, strongly indicates a need for erectile dysfunction medication prescribers to advise patients of the increasing STD rates among middle age and older individuals. STD treatments are available on this website.
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