Nearly half of men between the ages of 40 and 70 suffer from erectile dysfunction in the UK – this is around 4.3 million people.
But reports suggest the ‘little blue pill’ is now becoming increasingly popular with younger individuals in their twenties and thirties.
A 2020 survey of 5,000 people carried out for Upjohn, the maker of Viagra Connect, the over-the-counter version of the drug, showed that 18 per cent of 18-24-year-old men had erection difficulties.
And more recently, the ease of getting the drug without a prescription seems to be fueling its popularity with a younger audience.
According to figures from pharmaceutical company Viatris seen by The Independent this week, more than 60% of Britons using it are between 25-54 years old.
Reports suggest the ‘little blue pill’ is becoming increasingly popular with younger individuals in their twenties and thirties
The publication added that Viagra Connect sold more than seven million tablets in the UK from May 2020 to May 2021.
An online pharmacist also told the outlet: ‘Of our erectile dysfunction custom base, nine per cent are in their twenties and 21 per cent are in their thirties.’
Reports in recent years have seen professional say they have seen individuals as young as 16 express interest in the drug.
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Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2020, a specialist nurse from the Sexual Advice Association said: ‘I have been in this field for 27 years and 20 per cent of my erectile-dysfunction patients are now aged under 30, 시알리스20MG compared with two per cent 20 years ago…I’m seeing boys as young as 16, and quite a lot of young men in their 20s.’
But what does Viagra actually do? Who can use it, what are the side effects – and why is it so popular?
Here is everything you need to know about the drug.
Viagra was originally cooked up by Covid vaccine manufacturer Pfizer in 1989, with hopes that sildenafil citrate could treat high blood pressure
WHAT IS VIAGRA?
Most men occasionally struggle to get or keep an erection due to stress, tiredness, anxiety or drinking too much alcohol.
But up to one in five men in the UK (4.3million) suffer erectile dysfunction – when this keeps happening.
It can be caused by high blood pressure or cholesterol, hormone problems or side effects from medication.
Medicines containing sildenafil, originally developed to treat angina, are often used to treat the condition. It expands blood vessels and boosts blood flow to the genitals.
Viagra was originally cooked up by Covid vaccine manufacturer Pfizer in 1989, with hopes that sildenafil citrate could treat high blood pressure.
But clinical trials in Wales a few years later saw men report an unusual side effect —they got more erections while taking the medication.
The drug was approved in the US and EU in 1998, branded as Viagra, and became one of the fastest selling drugs of all time.
The drug was approved in the US and EU in 1998, 시알리스20MG branded as Viagra, and became one of the fastest selling drugs of all time
WHERE CAN YOU GET IT?
Non-branded sildenafil can be available from the NHS, to treat erectile dysfunction or pulmonary hypertension.
Branded versions – like Viagra – may only be given in exceptional circumstances. You may also get the drug via private prescription but the pills are also available over the counter.
Just this summer Boots has started selling its own-brand Viagra, in a move hailed by doctors amid the cost of living crisis.
The chemist now offers a four-pack of impotence pills for £14.99 — £5 cheaper than the original version.
