A vigorous argument against sexual "performance enhancing" drug use in youth

Here's an interesting quotation from a 2004 NEJM piece by Morgentaler on the treatment of erectile dysfunction.



"...the effects of the recreational use of PDE 5 inhibitors have not been well studied. My major concern is the psychological impact of taking these medications for younger men who are not yet in a stable relationship. I have seen cases where men who lack for nothing except confidence secretly take sildenafil every time they go on a date, in the hope that it will help them please their partner. However, this can create obstacles for a solid intimate relationship. Apart from issues of authenticity, trust, and honesty, it seems to me that the key psychological cost of using sildenafil recreationally is that, by relying on a pharmacologic enhancement to his sexuality, a man loses an opportunity to achieve what we all look for in relationships—namely, to be loved and accepted for whom we really are."


That's some sincerity right there...now, whether you agree with the degree of passion in that statement.

(h/t UCLA IM Residency program IMS morning conference, 1/19/2012).