A trio of pills - Cialis, Levitra and Viagra - enable limp men to have more sex,

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Date: Fri, 05 Mar 2004 13:23:19 -0800From: april@...Subject: [AEGiS] Don't let me down: A trio of pills - Cialis,Don't let me down: A trio of pills - Cialis, Levitra and Viagra -enable limp men to have more sex, but researchers warn ofpossible side effects if misusedWashington Blade - March 5, 2004 Seelyhttp://www.aegis.org/news/wb/2004/WB040303.htmlIn gay dance events and circuit parties, gay men and recreationaldrug use sometimes go hand-in-hand. And since its introduction in1998, Viagra - and now its two rivals, Levitra and Cialis - hasfound a home among gay men looking to stay sexually potent forhours on end and party-goers looking to counteract theside-effects of drugs like crystal meth.But it doesn't stop with recreational use: Some men with HIV usethe drugs, approved only for treating erectile dysfunction, toovercome the side effects of some HIV drugs.For Folger, living with HIV also means coping with fatigueand the inability to maintain an erection to have sex. "It's acombination of me being 48 and the fatigue that HIV causes,"Folger says. "I'm horny as hell but I'm tired because I'm alwaysfatigued from HIV."Whether the HIV medications cause Folger's impotence or it's theresult of fatigue, Folger says he won't sit flaccidly by and missout on sex."I just use Viagra," Folger says.Health researchers, though, are concerned that mixing erectiledysfunction drugs with HIV medications or using themrecreationally can cause complications. Some studies show use ofthe drugs among gay men can lead to riskier sex and higher ratesof HIV and STD infections.The FDA approved Viagra for erectile dysfunction in 1998. For thelast few years, Folger has refilled his prescription each month.But he hasn't tried Cialis or Levitra, competitors to Viagra thatgained FDA approval last year.Crystal meth cocktailUnlike Folger, some gay men obtain erectile dysfunction drugswithout a prescription to combat the impotence that comes withusing crystal meth, according to Dr. Charlotte Kent, chief ofepidemiology in the STD prevention and control division of theSan Francisco Department of Public Health.Dubbed "crystal dick," the meth-induced impotence "providesmotivation for people to take something to compensate for thedysfunction that occurs," Kent says., who asked that his last name not be published, sufferedfrom impotence during the months he spent addicted to crystalmeth, and he took Viagra to compensate, he says.The combination turned him into a veritable sex machine."That's part of what allowed me to be able to just concentrate onhaving sex with people," says. "With the crystal I couldstay up for three or four days and have sex with 30 to 40 guyseasily."Obtaining the pills was easy, he says."I called my own prescription in to pharmacies," says."Just pretended I was a doctor's office. Some people I know justorder from Web sites that provide a medical consultation online."But gay men who take the crystal meth-Viagra combination contractHIV and STDs at a higher rate than men who take only Viagra,according to a study to be released in March at the 2004 NationalSTD Prevention Conference in Philadelphia."Where it is primarily a problem is when people are using meth,"Kent says. "That's where we see the biggest risk factor."Specific results from the study weren't available because it hasnot yet been published. But gay men who had sex while under theinfluence of both crystal meth and Viagra were several times morelikely to contract syphilis and HIV, Kent says.A weekend of sexOne of the common places that gay men mix Viagra with crystalmeth, in addition to other party drugs, is at circuit parties,according to a three-year-old study by the federal Centers forDisease Control & Prevention.Gay men use erectile dysfunction drugs to combine with commonparty drugs such as crystal meth, amyl nitrates (poppers),ketamine, gamma-hydroxybutyrate or gamma-butyrolactone (GHB-GBL),and ecstasy, according to a December 2001 study by the CDC.The study, published in the Journal of AIDS, examined the sex anddrug habits of 295 gay and bisexual men who attend circuitparties.During one weekend of drug use, 80 percent of study participantsused ecstasy, 66 percent used ketamine, 43 percent used crystalmeth, 29 percent used GHB/GBL, 14 percent used Viagra and 14percent used poppers, according to the study.Poppers and Viagra, when used together, create a potentiallylethal combination that could lead to heart failure, says Dr. LeeGolusinski, a gay Atlanta doctor.More than half of the circuit partiers used four or more drugsduring the course of the weekend, according to the study, whichconcluded that the use of the drugs increased the likelihood of"high-risk behavior," such as unprotected anal sex. The studypoints a finger at Viagra for the increase."It is specifically associated with high-risk sexual behavior,"according to the authors of the study.The study's authors offered two explanations for why Viagra wasbeing taken: HIV-positive men took erectile dysfunction drugs tocombat impotence caused by their medications or studyparticipants took Viagra to enable sex while on party drugs.The combination of party drugs and impotence pills makes sense,Golusinski says."We've got one drug that makes you want sex and the other givesyou the ability to have it," Golusinski says.But doctors cannot name Viagra as the problem itself, says Dr. Schneider, who serves on the board of directors of the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association."It depends on the individual person and the setting in which itis used," Schneider says. "If you have a same-sex couple who hasbeen together 30 or 40 years, then no, they won't be at higherrisk. But contrast that with a single guy at a circuit partyusing crystal meth. He is at a higher risk. It's not because ofViagra, but of other drugs he's doing and the setting he's in."Feds 'drag their feet'Advertisements and consumer information put out by the makers ofCialis, Levitra and Viagra warn prospective users that the pillsdon't provide protection from sexually transmitted diseases.Officials with Eli Lilly & Company, which manufactures Cialis,and Bayer Pharmaceuticals and GlaxoKline, which producesLevitra, maintain their literature includes warnings againstusing the drugs for other than their prescribed purposes.Disclaimers also say the drugs do provide protection against HIVand other STDs."It would be very clear to consumers what this product is for andto help avoid any confusion they include HIV/STD information,"says Carol Copeland, communication specialist for Levitra.Pfizer, which manufactures Viagra, did not respond to repeatedinquiries. But the company has long warned against the use of thedrug for nonapproved purposes, and has educated doctors about thedangers of combining it with both legal and illegal nitrates.But the FDA should step in and require the companies to do more,according to Dr. Jeff Klausner, director of the STD/HIVprevention unit of the San Francisco Department of Public Health.Warnings on the drugs should also make it clear that it mayincrease the chance of contracting STDs, he says."The FDA has been dragging its feet on this issue," Klausnersays. "They have not moved on the issue and it is completely intheir authority and responsibility to make physicians and usersof their product aware."In 2002, the San Francisco Department of Public Health asked theFDA to place a more thorough warning on Viagra to make it clearthat sexual risks are associated with the drug, Klausner says.According to a July 2002 study in AIDS, Viagra users reportedgreater numbers of recent sex partners, higher levels ofunprotected anal sex with an HIV-positive partner and higherrates of STDs than non-users.But the FDA did not follow the recommendation, according to anFDA spokesperson.With the launch of Levitra and Cialis late last year, the numberof new users of erectile dysfunction drugs increased, accordingto data from NDCHealth, which tracks the numbers of new andrefilled prescriptions in pharmacies across the country.Of the three pills, Cialis remains in a user's system the longest- up to 36 hours - making it the perfect pill for impotent men totake on a Friday afternoon so they can remain sexually active formost of the weekend, Golusinski says.040305WB040303

VergelDirector, Program for Wellness Restoration (PoWeR)An all volunteer non profit organizationwww.powerusa.org

AIDS is not over. There are 40 million people infected with HIV and 20 million people have died so far while 14,000 people are infected every day. Only 5% of those needing treatment get it. Most PWAs in the world are dying helplessly while rich nations watch. We will be remembered by future generations as the people who allowed greed and profits to be more important than human suffering and lives.