The expectations of patients taking sildenafil (Viagra) are high, and the higher the expectation the more extreme is the disappointment with failure. Tomlinson and Wright (p 1037) interviewed 40 men who had been prescribed sildenafil for erectile dysfunction. They found that the emotional and social ramifications of impotence were greater than expected: impotence carried a sense of emasculation and a decline in confidence, and affected the participants' relationship with their partners, friends, and work colleagues. Failure of treatment caused some patients additional anguish; for many, it confirmed their lack of self worth. Less sensational media reporting of the benefits of sildenafil would have lowered expectations, to the patients' benefit, say the authors.
Figure 1.
Credit: AARON WINDSOR/PHOTONICA