CAIRO: Initially advertised by pharmaceutical companies as the drug to rev-up the love life of mature adults, Viagra has recently become the drug of choice for youth, who buy it over the counter. "(This is) definitely a phenomenon. The problem is that drugs like Viagra have become recreational drugs, says Dr. Kamal Shorobime, consultant of dermatology and andrology to Diva magazine. "Viagra has become a recreational drug among youth, says Ibrahim Mohammed, a pharmacist. "A lot of young men get it over the counter, rather than by prescription, which obviously means that they do not have a medical condition, or, have not been examined by doctors to justify their need for the drug, he adds. According to Shorobime, the abuse of this impotence pill amongst young males in Egypt has developed due to the lack of drug control in the country. "Buying drugs here is as easy as buying cheese from the supermarket, he says. According to Shorobime, cheaper Viagra imitations come from India, Turkey and Syria, which all manufacture less expensive substitutes. "We have a wide market of fake drugs in Egypt, adds Shorobime. The original Viagra cost LE 27, Cialis costs LE 80, and Le Vitra costs LE 40, but is not as available as the other two, he says. Viagra was initially launched by Pfizer, a leading worldwide pharmaceutical company, to treat men over the age of 65 with a medical condition known as erectile dysfunction (ED). In a short time period, it has exploded into a multi-billion dollar industry, becoming the company's blockbuster sex drug. While initially registering a hit with mature adults, Viagra has gained popularity with youth, falling into the hands of men as young as 18 years old, who use it for recreational purposes. "I see many males who don t have a real problem but they use these drugs for better performance and this is very wrong, says Shorobime; these young men do not suffer from diabetes, hypertension or any other medical cause for impotence. Most of those who take it without prescription complain of performance anxiety or need a spark in their marriages. Partygoers looking for something to offset the effects of alcohol also take it as a recreational drug. Shorobime says he only prescribes Viagra in cases of real crisis, like a "wedding night failure, which he says is triggered by the anxiety of a man s first sexual experience. "I don t usually do that unless I have to, he notes. Such users are part of a new wave of men in their 20s, 30s and 40s who look nothing like Viagra s first spokesman five years ago: former American presidential candidate Bob Dole. "When Viagra was first introduced, older men who were using it started experiencing erections that they haven t experienced in many years, so they thought that they had regained their youth, says Shorobime. Youth on the other hand, began to use it to increase their sexual libidos, in awe of the idea of being able to perform for longer. Yet, according to Mohammed, these youth do not realize the impact Viagra could have on their already virile health. "There is a reason why you shouldn't take Viagra if you don't need it, says Mohammed. "Combined with other recreational drugs, it can lead to serious complications. "Flushing, headaches and gastric upset (are some of the resulting side effects), says Shorobime. "It varies from one patient to another. Also, in line with urologists, Shorobime states that some of the major side effects include psychological dependency. "They become psychologically addicted. They believe if they don t take it they won t perform at the optimum level, he explains. "The second result is that the body may become habituated to the drug and eventually stops responding to it. "The very fact that young males actually think they need this drug is in itself alarming, says Mohammed. Yet, Mohammed concedes, a large number of young men do need it. "Lifestyle affects impotence, says Dr. Rufus Green, an American urologist with a U.S. based practice. "The results of extremely poor health due to mass consumption of junk food, soft drinks and food ingredients that deplete their nutrition alter [young men s] libido. In addition, a lack of physical exercise among today s youth factors into this as it impairs the sexual performance in younger males. In order to halt the spread of Viagra use in youth, one must take the same approach to that of quitting smoking, according to Shorobime. "Because it is psychological not physical dependence, it is like quitting smoking. It needs strong will. If they don t find a strong will inside themselves then they can seek help from a psychiatrist, he says.
