Viagra sales surge as blokes try to treat erectile dysfunction before Valentine’s Day
IT may be the most romantic day of the year, but Valentine's Day can also be quite a stressful time.
The pressure to perform in the bedroom is at its peak, so it's no real surprise to learn that sales of erectile dysfunction medication tend to shoot up around 14 February.
According to figures released by, the past two years have seen a spike in sales of medication to treat impotence during Valentine’s Week, whether it’s the day before, with men gearing up for a cosy night in or on the day itself.
Stuart Gale, chief pharmacist and owner explained: “While we all recognise that Valentine’s Day is a Hallmark holiday, an opportunity for florists to ramp up the price of their finest red roses, there is no denying that it comes with a huge amount of expectation.
"Play it down and you are at risk of landing yourself in serious trouble with your loved one.
"This type of emotional stress can impact men physically, manifesting as a difficulty achieving and maintaining an erection.
“Medication to treat this condition is limited on the NHS and this, combined with the removal of stigma around ED, and the emergence of legitimate online doctor and pharmacy services, has led to more and more men going online to access treatment.”
In fact, Valentine's Day is also National Impotence Day - making it a great opportunity to raise awareness of the issue which affects around half of men.
It's thought that around 40 per cent of 40-year-old men have some degree of ED, and that number goes up with age (50 per cent at 50, etc).
Why does erectile dysfunction happen?
It can be down to a range of different causes - both physical and mental.
Smoking, drinking and leading a generally unhealthy lifestyle may have an effect on your ability to get and maintain an erection. Both smoking and drinking alcohol could damage blood vessels, impeding blood flow.
The NHS says that narrowing of the blood vessels going to the penis is commonly associated with pre-existing conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Your GP might recommend certain lifestyle changes to get the blood moving more freely.
That could include losing weight, taking cholesterol-lowering statins and changing your diet.
If you're able to get an erection and keep it when you're on your own but not when you're with a partner, the likelihood is that the cause is psychological, and your GP can help with treating it.
They may offer you treatments like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or sex therapy.
How do erectile dysfunction meds work?
Medication is thought to help around two-thirs of ED cases.
Pills like Viagra work by relaxing the blood vessels - temporarily increasing blood flow to the penis, resulting in an erection.
They usually get to work within 30-60 minutes of being taken but Viagra, for example, can be taken up to four hours before sexual activity.
But if you are struggling to get an erection when you want one, it is worth chatting to your GP.
They've heard it all before, so there's no need to be embarrassed.
Where can I get them from?
You don't have to go to a GP to get ED medication.
It's actually classed as a lifestyle drug and because of that, it's availability on the NHS is quite limited.
But your GP can help with tackling the route cause of the problem so it really is worth visiting them.
If you're looking to buy them online, you can do so legitimately via online pharmacies which feature the logos of the official regulatory bodies governing the industry.
These are: The GPhC (General Pharmaceutical Council), The MHRA (Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) and The CQC (Care Quality Commission).
Logos will be live links and will take the user through to the pharmacy’s registration pages.
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Erectile dysfunction can happen to men at any age and pressure to perform and affect anyone.
So if you are struggling this week, just take it easy - it's just another day!
And if you do want help, you know where to find it.
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