How Viagra Affects Healthy Men, Women, and Children (8 photos)

The name of the small blue pill from the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer has become a household name for a number of medications produced by companies around the world, all designed to address erectile dysfunction. Viagra and its analogs, which also contain sildenafil, are highly effective, but they affect people differently.

How does the body of someone who doesn't need it, such as a woman, a child, or a healthy man, react to Viagra?





Many people know that sildenafil was originally developed as a cardiology drug, but after discovering that it had a much more beneficial effect on male potency than on the heart, the drug was quickly repurposed. Viagra promotes the filling of the corpora cavernosa of the penis by relaxing the walls of the blood vessels in the penis and improving their blood flow.



It's important to note that Viagra doesn't affect sexual desire, but merely interferes with the natural functioning of the erectile mechanism. With erectile dysfunction, communication between the brain and nerves is disrupted, and sildenafil only helps restore it.

If sexual desire is absent, a man won't feel the drug's effects or, conversely, will feel discomfort due to increased blood pressure. Drinking alcohol can negate the drug's effects, even if desire is very strong. Alcohol has the opposite effect to Viagra—it impairs blood flow to the penis.

Viagra and a Healthy Man

Let's start by saying that Viagra is a medication, not a dietary supplement, so it should only be taken by men with erectile dysfunction, and only under a doctor's prescription. A healthy man's body can maintain an erection when needed, even without sildenafil.





But what happens if the blue pill enters the body of a man with no erectile problems, either accidentally or out of curiosity? Viagra, whether it's the original drug or its certified generic equivalents, underwent extensive testing and rigorous clinical trials before being released.

Sildenafil, which the drug contains, is recognized as safe for life and health, but like any other effective medication, Viagra has side effects and contraindications. The most common adverse effects are nasal congestion and visual impairment.

Viagra users are not at risk of total blindness, but temporary increased photosensitivity and color vision impairment are fairly common side effects. Men typically complain of everything in their field of vision taking on a blue tint, but this effect disappears as the drug is naturally eliminated from the body.



It has been proven that a man without erectile dysfunction can only experience one positive effect from Viagra: a reduction in the refractory period (the interval between sexual intercourse) by approximately 10 minutes. This feature of the impotence drug was first described in the journal Human Reproduction in 2002.

However, this feature of Viagra should be used with caution, as the effect is not cumulative when taking overdose. Increasing the amount of sildenafil in the body may not speed up the "recharge" process, but may lead to a heart attack and death.

There's also always the risk of an unnaturally long erection, which sounds very tempting, but in reality, is not a good thing. Such an abnormal erection will bring no joy to either the man or his partner, as it is usually very painful.



Furthermore, prolonged penile tension can lead to gangrene, which usually results in amputation of the penis. Such cases are quite rare, but they do occasionally occur among those who enjoy sex marathons.

That's why, even if you suffer from erectile dysfunction, you shouldn't self-medicate. Viagra is available in various dosages and has numerous contraindications, so it should only be prescribed by a doctor.

How Viagra affects women

After the episode of "Sex and the City" featuring Samantha's Viagra addiction, many women began to wonder if the drug could solve their sexual problems.



There are also some guys who wonder how a girl will react if he secretly slips her Viagra. It turns out that sildenafil has an effect on women, and MedExpress expert Dr. Claire Morrison explained the mechanism in an interview with Metro News:

Scientific studies that have tested the effects of Viagra on women aren't very encouraging. While the drug increases blood flow to the genitals and is useful for enhancing physical arousal, it doesn't appear to have any effect on sexual desire.

So, in simple terms, it works the same way as for men: if a woman lacks libido, Viagra will be completely useless. Maybe the drug is at least safe for women; after all, they don't experience painful erections?

But Dr. Morrison is disappointing here too. According to clinical trial results, sildenafil also causes side effects in women and problems with overdose:

Side effects of the drug, which include headaches, upset stomach, flushing, dizziness, and diarrhea, can occur in both sexes when taking Viagra.



This is how the impotence drug blurs gender differences, negatively affecting both men and women equally. It's important to note that this issue hasn't been studied in depth yet, and it's quite possible that there are other side effects specific to women.

So, those who've heard plenty of stories about women attacking men after taking Viagra can rest assured. While you definitely won't experience an overwhelming sexual desire, the likelihood of developing health problems is much higher.

To be objective, it's worth mentioning that there are women taking Viagra who claim it helps them. But if you have a sexual problem, it's best to consult a doctor, who can prescribe a more effective and affordable medication.

Viagra and Children

Viagra has a strict contraindication: the blue pills should never be given to children. A teenager should definitely not use sildenafil to stimulate an erection; if erectile dysfunction occurs at such an early age, serious problems with the reproductive system are obvious. In this case, the right decision would be to see a urologist rather than taking medications on your own.

As for children, they can theoretically be prescribed Viagra. In 2002, CBS News published an article about the use of Viagra in children's hospitals. It was discovered, quite by accident, that these potency-enhancing pills can save infants and young children from pulmonary hypertension, a life-threatening condition.



However, the use of sildenafil in children is still not entirely legal, and its effects on them have not been fully studied. Following the publication of material about the use of Viagra in pediatric clinics in India, the US, Canada, and the UK, a number of specialists harshly criticized this practice. The drug has not undergone any testing for its effects on children, and there is no precise dosage for specific cases.

Unfortunately, the prospects that Viagra will ever be officially used to save young lives are extremely low. First and foremost, it is unprofitable for pharmaceutical companies. Testing children's drugs has its own specifics and is much more expensive for companies than testing adult drugs. At the same time, very few mothers are willing to test any drugs on their babies, and without this it will be impossible to get an accurate picture.