Background: Pharmacologic treatments for erectile dysfunction (ED) have gained popularity among middle-aged and older men. Increased sexual activity among those who use these drugs raises concerns about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
Objective: To examine the rates of STDs in men who use and do not use ED drugs.
Design: Retrospective cohort study.
Setting: Database of claims from 1997 to 2006 for 1,410,806 men older than age 40 years with private, employer-based insurance from 44 large companies.
Patients: 33,968 men with at least 1 filled prescription for an ED drug and 1,376,838 patients with no prescription.
Measurements: STD prevalence among users and nonusers of ED drugs.
Results: Users of ED drugs had higher rates of STDs than nonusers the year before initiating ED drug therapy (214 vs. 106 annually per 100,000 persons; P = 0.003) and the year after (105 vs. 65; P = 0.004). After adjustment for age and other comorbid conditions, users of ED drugs had an odds ratio (OR) for an STD of 2.80 (95% CI, 2.10 to 3.75) in the year before initiating drug therapy; the OR was 2.65 (CI, 1.84 to 3.81) in the year after. These differences were largely due to infections with HIV. The OR for HIV infection was 3.32 (CI, 2.38 to 4.36) in the year before and 3.19 (CI, 2.11 to 4.83) in the year after an ED drug prescription was filled. Significant changes in STD rates from the year before to the year after the first ED drug prescription was filled were not documented (adjusted OR for STD for users before vs. after the first ED drug prescription was filled, 0.96 [CI, 0.87 to 1.06]).
Limitation: Selection bias precludes conclusions about whether use of ED treatments directly leads to increases in STDs.
Conclusion: Men who use ED drugs have higher rates of STDs, particularly HIV infection, both in the year before and after use of these drugs. The observed association between ED drug use and STDs may have more to do with the types of patients using ED drugs rather than a direct effect of ED drug availability on STD rates. Counseling about safe sexual practices and screening for STDs should accompany the prescription of ED drugs.
Primary funding source: RAND Roybal Center, National Institutes of Health, and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.