7 Healthcast: Viagra college
The commercials are aimed at older men. But drugs like Levitra, Cialis and Viagra are now showing up on college campuses and in surprising numbers. Children's Memorial Hospital Chicago researcher Dr. Najah Musacchio says, "In our study six percent of college age males used Viagra or other erectile dysfunction medications."
That's one in every 18 male students. Even more surprising, one in 8 of these men say they occasionally are unable to perform during sex. "This was very surprising to us. You know you normally think of these young men as not having any trouble with erectile dysfunction," says Musacchio.
Musacchio says it's the first scientific evidence of widespread use of impotence drugs in men this young. Musachio says one of the problems is that students don't get a doctor's advice when they get the pills. She says, "Nearly all of them obtained their erectile dysfunction medications from either a friend or some other non-medical source such as the Internet."
But Musacchio’s chief concern is students who mix the pills with alcohol or other drugs. She says those students have more sex with fewer inhibitions. That may be why only half of those surveyed said they use a condom.
Musacchio says now they plan to study why so many students have erectile dysfunction.
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