We conducted a survey ED (erectile dysfunction) drug use in men and found an alarming number of young men are using drugs like viagra and cialis recreationally. In fact a majority of young users do not suffer from erectile dysfunction, but instead, use it like a party drug. Why are young men risking their health for stronger erections?

There is no shame in using erectile dysfunction pills. For those that suffer from ED, it can be a lifesaver, or at least, a libido saver. However, our survey shows more men are popping pills despite not having ED. What’s this new trend for the use of erectile dysfunction pills, and why are more and more young men turning to them?

In the survey, less than 50% of men claimed to get their ED pills prescribed by a doctor.  8.2% of those admit to only pretending to their doctor they have erectile dysfunction. 20% of men confess to buying the pills online and 16% admit to buying the pills from drug dealers.

Men that use the pills twice or more a week, however, tend to get them from a doctor’s prescription. This points to ED pills being bought other means are being used for more sporadic use.

What’s it like to use ED medication?

“It gives you stronger erections. It doesn’t feel that much different to me as I don’t need it. However, it cuts the reload time down to about ten minutes.” explains one of my friends, Brandon tells me about how he used viagra at the same time as LSD.

“In the moment it was fantastic. One of the best sexual experiences of my life. However, combined with the acid and without a sense of time I was hard for well over seven hours and came four times. I felt like I had been kicked in the crotch by an Australian rugby player for about three days after.”

One Twitter user commented “There’s an incredible hardness. My partner at the time told me she could feel how solid compared to other times.”

Girls have also commented on how different it can feel to have sex with a guy when he’s using ED pills.

But long-lasting, rock hard erections isn’t always the fairy tale ending you might expect. Some women find that sex with men whilst on ED pills to be too mechanical, focusing more on quantity than quality.

“Sometimes guys think they should f**k you like in a porno. But what girl wants to just be rammed constantly for 5 hours? It’s like he thinks because he’s on this magic pill, he doesn’t need to put in any more effort than thrusting his hips,” explains London escort Ashley.

“I’ve taken the pill and the girl gets tired after maybe the second orgasm. But I’m left with this rock-hard stiffy and I can’t do anything about it. It’s like blue balls, except your dick hurts as well.” describes Joe, who works as a hairdresser in London.

Why are young men using ED pills?

A lot of young men now consider ED pills as another party drug for the list. Go out, get wasted, have rock hard sex. Some use them to tackle side effects from other drugs, such as ecstasy, which often have the negative side effect of short-circuiting your natural systems.

Some guys even consider having ED pills on them when partying just as important as having a condom.

It seems the long-lasting erection with quick reload times is appealing to young guys who want to live that “rock’n’roll” sex lifestyle. A lot of guys mention that pornstars use ED pills and there are definitely guys out there that want to “f**k like a pornstar”.

Our survey showed that  6.2% of men used ED pills to counter the effects of other recreational drugs. 16% use it to last longer in bed, 18% were simply curious to try it and 8% use it because they have performance anxiety.

Erectile dysfunction pills should not be used if you have performance anxiety. They’ll give you an erection, but they don’t fix the psychological blocks you had previously. It can be very easy to become dependent on the pills for erections and using them, for this reason, can make your performance anxiety much worse.

The health risks

There are a lot of health risks to using ED pills without a proper prescription from a doctor. Firstly, pills bought through other channels have a danger of being counterfeit. In some countries, buying these pills online is illegal. There are no checks in place to make sure the pills are legitimate or safe.

Factors that a doctor will check for before prescribing ED medication includes blood pressure, kidney issues and liver issues as well as making sure your ED pills are safe to take with your other medication. These are all important factors as the pills can cause serious problems otherwise.

It’s also uncertain how the drugs will react if you’re using them in conjunction to other recreational drugs, and it’s almost impossible to know what combinations of substances you are taking.

38% of men admitted to feeling mild side effects from taking the drug. This can include headaches, nasal congestion, and even blue vision. In more serious cases it can cause your blood pressure to drop, making you pass out. There have also been cases where it induces a stroke.

Alarmingly, long term continuous  misapplication of the drug can cause actual erectile dysfunction in men who hadn’t previously suffered from it before taking the pills. Your body can become dependent on the pills to perform and slowly it will also become more tolerant of the drug.

Our advice is to only take ED drugs if you have erectile dysfunction or they are prescribed by a doctor. Is a a stronger erection now worth the health risks or not being able to have an erection at all when you’re older?