Harvard Medical says many reading the study believed that taking Viagra led to skin cancer, which isn’t the case. The study shows a connection, not a cause. Harvard experts go on to say that even if Viagra did cause skin cancer, the percentage is incredibly small.
How the study claimed 84% of Viagra-taking men got skin cancer
Researchers complied statistics based on a questionnaire that asked men about their overall health for a decade. Of the roughly 30,000 men who had never taken Viagra, 128 developed melanoma. Of the 1,618 men that had taken Viagra, 14 developed melanoma.
In other words, 4.3 of every 1,000 who didn’t take Viagra developed melanoma compared to 8.6 of every 1,000 men who took Viagra.
When you crunch the numbers, the increase from 4.3 to 8.6 is an 84% difference, which was the attention-grabbing headline that experts chose to highlight.
The absolute increase, however, is 0.43%.
What this means for men taking Viagra
So, what does all of this mean for men taking Viagra? Should they be worried that taking a pill to enhance their sex life could lead to skin cancer down the road? Right now, researchers say it’s more important to focus on sun-safe measures, rather than worry about Viagra and its connection to skin cancer.
When you go outside, use sunblock. Limit your time in the sun, and get any weird looking moles looked at by your doctor.
There’s a common sense approach that should be taken here, and that’s to pay attention to the precautions you take when outside.
If you have any questions about Viagra and its safety, talk with your doctor to get answers and reassurance.
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