AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the nation's largest AIDS group and a direct provider of HIV/AIDS medical care to tens of thousands of AIDS patients in the US, Africa, Central America and Asia, blasted Pfizer, Inc. last week for contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases, by encouraging recreational use of its blockbuster drug, Viagra, in its latest print advertising campaign appearing in the July 10th edition of Newsweek and featuring a forty-something African-American couple:
"Viagra can help guys with all degrees of erectile dysfunction -- from mild to severe."
"Viagra is prescribed for all degrees of ED, even if it only happens once in a while."
" ... enjoy what it [Viagra] can do to help you improve your sex life."
Through this advertising of Viagra, while Pfizer hopes to further develop the drug's market share, in the process expanded the definition of Erectile Dysfunction or ED (the medical condition whereby the drug has been approved by the FDA to treat) and overtly promoted the use of Viagra for recreational use.
"Viagra is supposed to be a prescription drug to treat men with a diagnosed medical condition, but you'd never know it from this ad which openly promotes its use as a sex life enhancer and confidence-builder for all men. An occasional failure to get an erection does not constitute Erectile Dysfunction. Why doesn't Pfizer just come out and say: For the treatment of performance anxiety?" said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
"Pfizer is clearly trying to capitalize on the recreational use of Viagra in order to increase its market share, recklessly placing profits above the public's health. It is particularly irresponsible for Pfizer to market its drug in this way, when it is widely known that the abuse of recreational drugs, including the dangerous combination of crystal methamphetamine and Viagra, is contributing to the spread of STDs and HIV nationwide.
In its statement, AIDS HF urged Pfizer to not only pull these ads that encourage the recreational use of Viagra, but also to make a pledge to curb all irresponsible direct-to-consumer advertising -- a practice that endangers public health to protect profits.
Read more at AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
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