Viagra: My Personal Moments

Editor's Note: This is the third and final episode of "Viagra: My Personal Moments," a personal account of a first experience with the drug by writer David Steinberg.

Episode III

Since I've been using Viagra, I've also been talking about it with lots of my men friends. "I'll give you one if you want to try it out," I tell many of them, always ready to be helpful. To my surprise, almost everyone has taken me up on the offer, calmly but with obvious enthusiasm just below the surface. These are people I've known and talked to about sex for years, but who have never said a word to me about being unhappy with their erections. As it turns out, that doesn't mean they don't have concerns.

One friend, now in his 40s, confided to me that he has had erection issues since his 20s. Another wanted his pill right away because he was going out on a hot date that night. A third was sorely disappointed when I forgot to bring the promised pill the next time we had lunch. Only one friend was uninterested in even trying the drug. "My penis is the one part of my body that works well these days," he said. "I don't want to take any chances on messing that up."

The flood of deprecating jokes that have accompanied the appearance of Viagra has been, I think, an indication of just how many people are insecure about their erections, one way or another. People using humor to deflect an issue they feel uncomfortable addressing. Hopefully, as it becomes clear just how many men are interested in Viagra, the stigma attached to erection difficulties will drop away somewhat.

Medical vs. Recreational

What is being decried as recreational use (or abuse) of the little blue pill is, I think, more than an issue of new fun and games. There seem, rather, to be a lot of men who inhabit the gray area between complete erectile dysfunction and complete erectile satisfaction who take Viagra in a way that is neither strictly medical nor strictly recreational. With a little luck, Viagra will bring the whole issue of how we feel about our erections out of the closet and into the light of day, so that we can all be a little more truthful with each other and, consequently, a little less hard on ourselves.

Is Erectile Perfection the Answer?

Other Episodes

Read Episodes I and II of Viagra: My Personal Moments.