July 6, 2010 - STD Rates Higher Among Men Taking ED Drugs.

Bloomberg News (7/6, Ostrow) reports, users of medicines for erectile dysfunction (ED) “showed almost triple the rate of sexually transmitted diseases compared with those not taking the medications." In fact, the "higher rate of infections was seen in the year before and after the men started taking the prescription medicines," Harvard researchers explained. Investigators "looked at health insurance claims from 44 large US employers from 1997, one year before Viagra [sildenafil] was introduced, through 2006." The "most frequently reported STD was HIV/AIDS, followed by chlamydia," HealthDay (7/5, Behen) noted. The findings "suggest a need for greater responsibility in prescribing ED medications." The Boston Globe (7/5, Cooney) "White Coat Notes" blog also covered the study.