A Tale of Two Pills: Cialis is Much More Popular Than Viagra

BONERVILLE—Psychology Today is reporting that of the two major erection drugs, Viagra and Cialis, the latter is more popular by far. In fact, according to author Michael Castleman, "Men express remarkable preference for Cialis." Castleman continues, "I found 12 studies in which men tried both drugs and then reported which they chose to continue. The score was a shut-out: Cialis 12, Viagra 0. And the 8,300 participants favored Cialis by a wide margin, on average, three to one. In studies that also included the third major erection drug, Levitra (vardenafil), Cialis was substantially more popular than either competitor." Interestingly, studies indicate that women are equally in favor of Cialis. The reason for the overwhelming preference is not that hard to understand: Cialis reportedly lasts longer. "If a man takes Cialis on Friday evening," reports Castleman, "he has erection assistance through Sunday afternoon. Both men and women say they like the fact that Cialis allows them to take their eyes off the clock and make love whenever they wish. So Cialis has a clear advantage for dating couples or new lovers still in the hot-and-heavy period who value sexual spontaneity. "But oddly," he continues, "Cialis is also the clear favorite among long-term spouses who are less likely to be sexually spontaneous and more likely to make sex dates. The larger window of opportunity apparently makes for friendlier spousal negotiations." But erection drug preference is only one of the tidbits of information disseminated by Castleman. It turns out that far fewer older men use these erection drugs than most people like assume. According to the article, "Sales are only about half of what pundits predicted when 'vitamin V' was first approved. Cornell researchers surveyed 6,291 older men on the subject. Almost half—48 percent—reported some ED. How many had ever tried an erection drug? Just 7 percent." Castleman suggests some possible explanations for that unexpected factoid. "One reason is that, compared with women, men are less willing to take medication," he writes. "But the main reason is that the drugs enhance intercourse, while older couples generally evolve away from the old in-out toward genital hand massage, oral sex, and vibrator play. For many older lovers, intercourse is a hassle. Even with drugs, men’s erections may be iffy, and despite lubricant, vaginal dryness and/or atrophy cause many women pain during intercourse. So older lovers who remain sexual generally switch from intercourse toward other pleasures. And if you’re no longer having intercourse, erections aren’t necessary, so why take a drug? "In addition, men don’t need erections to have orgasms," he also notes. "That’s right, with sufficient fondling, men can have marvelous orgasms with semi-firm or even flaccid penises." But there may be other reasons why older men refrain from using the little pills. Assuming that one reason men take them is to combat so-called performance anxiety, older men in relationships have likely long since passed the anxious. But even for older men who are dating, years of experience in bed may also leave them with less anxiety than a younger specimen. But it could also be that many men who were born and raised pre-pill and got along fine for years without them prefer to "go natural" as long as things are operating more or less as they are supposed to. In other words, every male who turns 40 (or 50, or 60) is not automatically stricken by the specter of a soft, shriveled penis when the opposite is desired. Similarly, the ineffective or unreliable nature of these drugs—"The manufacturers claim the drugs are 70 to 85 percent effective, but the research shows effectiveness in the range of 50 to 60 percent, and possibly lower for men with diabetes, heart disease, or high cholesterol or blood pressure."—is apparently one of the main reasons why only half of the prescriptions given are renewed. "In the studies," notes Castleman, "'effectiveness' does not mean rock-hard porn-star erections. It means any increase in firmness that enables intercourse. Drug-fueled erections can be on the soft side, so many men feel disappointed." He concludes the piece, "Bottom line: If you’re over 40 and have never tried an erection medication, you’re in the majority. But if you use one, you’ll probably be happiest with Cialis." Now we just need to query some male porn stars as well as directors and producers to see if the industry has a preferred brand, as well.