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Viagra can do much more than just save your sex life. For the past decade, erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra and Cialis have sent men marching into bedrooms all over the world with renewed confidence and vigour.
Now, there seems to be another good reason to appreciate them -- they may help to save some of the planet's endangered animal species.
Evidence is mounting that men who used to rely on concoctions such as tiger penis soup and powdered rhinoceros horn are finding the convenient and fast-acting pills a good alternative.
One landmark study, done in 2004 by Australian researchers led by William von Hippel, involved 256 Chinese men, aged 50 to 76 years. All were receiving treatment at a traditional Chinese medicine clinic in Hong Kong.
The scientists found these consumers reported selectively switching to Western medicines to treat erectile dysfunction or ED, but not to treat other health ailments, such as gout and arthritis.
And, while they acknowledge it is hard to get data on the trade of contraband animal parts, they found the price of the male genitalia of Canadian seals remained low in 2001 and 2002, despite improved markets for pelts and oil from these animals. They conclude that "this depressed trade in seal penises, in combination with our survey of traditional Chinese medicine consumers, indicates that Viagra [which was introduced in 1998] and other new erectile dysfunction drugs may be having a conservation benefit, at least with regard to certain animal species."
Critics, including Craig Hoover of the World Wildlife Fund, have challenged von Hippel's interpretation of the data, noting other factors -- such as ice conditions and the ending of Canadian government subsidies on seal meat -- may have affected the seal harvest, which is primarily about pelts and not penises anyway. Still, if even some habitual users of endangered species' organs switch to a pill, it's a step in the right direction.
Of course, there are fundamental philosophical differences between traditional Chinese medicine and Western approaches to erectile dysfunction.
As Chinese herbalist Jeffrey Chen explained to a reporter from the New York Observer,
"With Chinese herbal medicine, the point is not to take a pill and something will happen."
He went on to explain the traditional Chinese concept of qi (energy), noting that "impotence is related to the kidney qi."
Many thoughtful analysts feel Asian men who have been steeped in this tradition will not be interested in taking a pill that, according to its manufacturer Pfizer Inc., "enhances the effect of nitric oxide by inhibiting phosphodiesterase type 5, which is responsible for degradation of cGMP in the corpus cavernosum."
In fact, there may be even some movement from Viagra to herbal measures. A Calgary-based talk radio station has been running ads for a herbal preparation for erectile dysfunction. The company even has a 1-800 number for a free sample by mail. Cost may also be a consideration, since sometimes, herbal preparations are cheaper than prescription drugs.
However, before popping any "herbal Viagra," it would be wise to find out exactly what's in it. Some contain strange fungus preparations; some may even be toxic. Many herbal erectile dysfunction tonics have been known to cause abnormally low blood pressure in important places like the brain. Some have turned out to contain real Viagra or other prescription drugs, which is a major no-no.
As Viagra passes its 10th anniversary of commercial availability, work is ongoing to make it even better. Pfizer has patented a water soluble form of the drug that could be put into a fast-acting nasal spray. Comedy sketch writers will probably have a field day describing guys falling out of bed while groping for their inhalers.
Like most popular drugs, researchers have tried Viagra for purposes other than the one for which it is intended. It has been found to be useful in treating some kinds of high blood pressure, and for improving exercise capacity in men with congestive heart failure.
Off-label use of Viagra hit new heights when Patricia V. Agostino and colleagues at the Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Argentina, received the 2007 Ig Nobel prize for their discovery that Viagra aids jet lag recovery in hamsters. Their work was published in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and has actually been cited by other researchers, mostly for fun.
However, the award for the most creative use of an erectile dysfunction drug has nothing to do with hamsters or harp seals or tigers. It's about that most interesting animal, homo sapiens. Dutch Researchers developed a curiosity about just what happens to the human penis during intercourse. They decided to get couples to have sex in an MRI machine. This poses challenges since they had to squeeze into a 50-centimetre tube and hold still for 14 seconds. In fact it was so awkward that "two men were able to sustain erections during the experiment only after ingesting sildenafil [Viagra] one hour before imaging."
The key finding -- and yes, there are photographs to prove it -- is that "during 'missionary position' intercourse the penis has the shape of a boomerang," curving up to 120 degrees. Who says there's nothing left for science to explore?
Tom Keenan, Canwest News Service
- Tom Keenan, I. S. P., is an award-winning science writer, professional speaker and professor at the University of Calgary.
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