Passive medicalization: The case of viagra and erectile dysfunction

Sildenafil citrate, marketed under the brand name Viagra, has changed the way Americans view erectile dysfunction (ED). Hailed as a panacea for ED, Viagra's prescription and use over looks the full context of ED, ignoring its sociocultural and psychological components. Examining issues of medicalization and the social construction of illness, this study proposes that Viagra has created a new model of medicalization-"passive medicalization"-in which societal demand for the medication prompted action by the medical field that has resulted in only loose social control. The study analyzes the roles of the general public, physicians, Viagra's manufacturer (Pfizer), and health care insurers in the emergence of this type of medicalization, Drawing from Waitzkin's (1989) work on the processing of social context in medical encounters, the study discusses how passive medicalization of Viagra neglects the full nature of ED. The subsequent implications of this medicalization for men with ED, their domestic partners, and society overall are discussed.