Black Men and the New Sex Pills
// November 13th, 2010 // No Comments » // Impotence
BROTHERS might not want to admit it right away, but Sisters and the doctors who know about these things will tell you in a minute that, despite the dominant myths about Black male sexuality, Black men–like all men–can experience sexual problems brought on by life’s typical stresses, relationship tensions, medical conditions or just plain old aging.
Now, thanks in part to a media blitz on the new sex pills, experts are saying they have seen a growing admission among Black men that they can have a sexual problem, and a growing use of a pill to resolve that problem. The result is a high level of satisfaction among those Brothers who have used the pills and enjoyed sex, and a marked improvement in the health of their relationships.
“No question about it,” notes Atlanta-based urologist Dr. James Bennett, who has seen an increase in Black men who are taking sex pills. “Usually, when African-American men come in, it’s at the insistence of their spouse,” says Dr. Bennett, who also hosts “Radio House Call” in Atlanta. “Even the radio show callers tell me how the drug has changed their lifestyle.”
Once thought of as private, sexual performance problems these days are being discussed everywhere, blaring in headlines, in news accounts and ads for new sex pills Viagra and Levitra with their sports celebrity pitchmen, to be followed soon by Cialis, which has been approved for U.S. sales. And a fourth drug, Uprima, is on the pharmaceutical horizon awaiting approval.
Although there are differences among the pills currently on the U.S. market–which cost about $10 apiece–they basically take the same approach, blocking certain enzymes to allow an erection. They merely allow nature to take its course with sexual stimulation.
Clinical trials conducted on behalf of the pharmaceutical companies have shown the pills work for Black men. Viagra showed an 81 percent satisfaction rate among Blacks, and Levitra showed Blacks, Hispanics and Whites at 80 percent. The pills that are out or are coming out try to distinguish themselves in going after the huge segment of the potential market that has been left out. The main differences with these pills are in their relative effective periods–usually about 4 to 5 hours, although newcomer Cialis boasts effectiveness up to 36 hours, giving rise to its French nickname, “Le Weekender.” There also are relative differences in the amount of time it might take for the pills to kick in–from 30 to 60 minutes–and differences with side effects that can include headaches, backaches or facial flushing.
Surprisingly, apart from efficacy studies that show satisfaction levels, there have been no research studies on the impact of the new sex pills on Black sexuality or on Black health. It is still early, but experts in this area say there is need for just that kind of research.
It has been estimated that up to 30 million men in this country have at least some episode of impotency at some point, with a number of men facing chronic occurrences after they pass age 60. Reportedly as many as 50 percent of men over age 40 can be affected to some extent, and even much younger men can have episodes–sometimes health-related.
While there are no hard figures, there is reason to believe Black men–especially Black men over age 40–may face increased risk. Apart from the emotional causes, like problems in a relationship or everyday stress, there are certain medical conditions that are commonly associated with male sexual performance. Diabetes, coronary disease, hypertension and certain cancers all can give rise to sexual performance problems, and these are medical problems that affect Blacks to a higher extent than the general population.
That is why it is critical for Black men to address any sexual problem right away. It just might be an early warning sign of more serious medical problems, according to Dr. Bennett, who also served as lead investigator for American clinical trials on the efficacy of Levitra. “That’s the message we need to send out to our community. Regardless of your age, whether you’re in your late teens or twenties or thirties, if you have any signs of erection problems,” he advises, “that is a sign that you could have some underlying cardiovascular problems. And you need to get checked out. It’s nothing to get embarrassed about, but it may save your life down the road from a stroke or a heart attack or even going into renal failure.”
A doctor will also advise on potential side effects, how certain products might affect Black men with special health concerns, and whether a man’s particular physical condition poses a risk. Your medical history and prescriptions are critical in making this determination, because there is the very real possibility that certain medical conditions and medications for those conditions—like hypertension medication–can be adversely affected by use of sex pills. No one who is on nitrates–prescribed for certain heart conditions–should use these medications. Similarly, a recent heart attack or heart irregularity would likely bar any use of these drugs for a certain period of time. Diabetes and prostate cancer might be factors in determining not to use certain medication.
Still other men might have simpler causes of sexual problems that can be addressed without drugs. “So I think it is a matter of making sure you have the right assessment to determine whether you need medication,” suggests Dr. David Satcher, director of the National Center for Primary Care at the Morehouse School of Medicine. “There are many men who will not need medication in order to deal with their erectile dysfunction,” says Satcher, the former U.S. Surgeon General, who notes that physical activity or counseling just might be enough.
Everyone agrees that women partners should be involved in any effective counseling, improving the overall satisfaction in the relationship. “It says that my partner cares enough about me to go in to the doctor to talk about something so that our lives can be better,” notes Dr. Gail Wyatt, sex therapist and professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at UCLA. “No matter what the outcome is, we’re going to get better because we’re in this together,” she says.
Despite the growing acceptance of medical treatment among Black men, dealing with it so openly still is hard. “Men do hide from this and they will ask for the pills through their wives or they will ask someone else about the medication,” notes Dr. James Wyatt, an obstetrician/gynecologist and sex therapist. “They don’t like to present themselves at a physician’s office saying, ‘I am not a stud, I can’t perform,’” says Dr. Wyatt who, with his wife Dr. Gall Wyatt, co-authored the book No More Clueless Sex: Ten Secrets to a Sex Life that Works for Both of You. “It’s embarrassing and it’s self-deflating for them to do that.”
Looking ahead, experts say, Black men will have to face the reality of life, rejecting the myth of Black male sexuality. In the end, for couples who have a healthy attitude about their sexuality and their relationship and where the man can use a sex pill, the relationship benefits. “It certainly can increase desire because if you’re able to perform, you’re going to want to try again,” Dr. Gall Wyatt says. “If you’re not, then you’re going to want to avoid sex, and avoid intimacy.”
SOME BLACK WOMEN ASK: WHERE’S OUR MIRACLE PILL?
An informal, unscientific survey in the Black community suggests that many Sisters applaud high-profile sex pills such as Viagra and Levitra and say that these drugs are saving marriages and, in some cases, lives. “We know that if the sex is not good in a relationship, it can affect that relationship in various ways,” says Charlotte, N.C., psychologist Elaine Stevens, founder and president of the relationship consulting company, Matters of the Heart, Inc. “The positive thing that has happened in Black relationships is that a lot of couples, where the partner was once impotent, are now able to have an enjoyable sexual relationship, so their marriage is back.”
Los Angeles-area sex therapist Rosie Milligan, author of Satisfying the Black Man Sexually, Made Simple, agrees, adding that these sex drugs also save lives. “Black men [suffer] higher fates of high blond pressure and diabetes, and the prescribed medications for these ailments may impair their ability to perform,” Milligan says. “Before [the new sex pills] came along, many men would rather risk their lives by not taking their blood pressure medicine.”
But if it takes two to tango, many Sisters have one burning question:
Where’s our miracle drug to combat sexual dysfunction?
“Viagra enables men to have more confidence in themselves and to perform, and that’s a blessing,” says Nr.w Ynrk-area psychologist Vera S. Paster, author of Staying Married.” A Guide for African American Couples. “But the real problem is that there should be a ‘Viagra’ for women.”
To date, there still isn’t an FDA-approved impotence medication for women on the market. Same doctors, however, are experimenting with low doses of Viagra and Levitra to treat female patients; and others, like Shaft Goldman, a Chicago-area gynecologist, told a reporter that she considers testosterone therapy for women who say they suffer from low libidos.
Alicia Simon, assistant professor of sociology at Clark-Atlanta University, says women’s sexual issues are gradually becoming the focus of research.
“The [impotency drug] revolution is a good thing, because once they do address the male reproductive issues, then our issues will gel addressed as well, so eventually we will all benefit.”
Perhaps the greatest benefit is the promise of re-igniting the passion in Black relationships, says Detroit-area psychologist and attorney Paris M. Firmer Williams, author of Marital Secrets: Dating, Lies, Communication and Sex. Dr. Finner-Williams believes that couples who become intimate at least once every 72 hours are more likely to succeed.
“Sex is very important in keeping spirituality between the couple,” she says. “Despite all of the issues and concerns that are surrounding us, if we are able to make love and appreciate each other’s spirits, we can once again reassure ourselves that there is a compromise. We can make it. We can resolve whatever our issues are. And we are not going to let those issues separate us.”
