This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Hi. I'm Art Caplan. I'm at the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU's Grossman School of Medicine.
Incredibly, 25 years ago, Bob Dole, a senator from Kansas at the time and former presidential candidate, went on national television in a commercial and discussed the fact that he was sexually impotent. You might be thinking, "What was happening then? Was this an early Jerry Springer experience or reality TV gone haywire?" No. Viagra was approved as a treatment 25 years ago this year.
Bob Dole was recruited by Pfizer, the manufacturer of Viagra, to do commercials in which he discussed his sexual dysfunction. He was recruited for a very specific set of reasons. First, he was a distinguished, prominent, respected national figure. Second, he was conservative.
For those of you who don't remember, when 25 years ago Viagra first appeared, Pfizer was terrified that they would get attacked for promoting promiscuity by introducing a sex pill onto the market. Bob Dole was basically saying, "I have a medical problem. It's tough to talk about, but there is a treatment. I'm going to discuss the fact that I, among many other men, could use this to help that problem."
COMMENTARY
25 Years of Viagra: A Huge Change in Attitudes About ED
Arthur L. Caplan, PhD
DisclosuresJuly 18, 2023
This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Hi. I'm Art Caplan. I'm at the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU's Grossman School of Medicine.
Incredibly, 25 years ago, Bob Dole, a senator from Kansas at the time and former presidential candidate, went on national television in a commercial and discussed the fact that he was sexually impotent. You might be thinking, "What was happening then? Was this an early Jerry Springer experience or reality TV gone haywire?" No. Viagra was approved as a treatment 25 years ago this year.
Bob Dole was recruited by Pfizer, the manufacturer of Viagra, to do commercials in which he discussed his sexual dysfunction. He was recruited for a very specific set of reasons. First, he was a distinguished, prominent, respected national figure. Second, he was conservative.
For those of you who don't remember, when 25 years ago Viagra first appeared, Pfizer was terrified that they would get attacked for promoting promiscuity by introducing a sex pill onto the market. Bob Dole was basically saying, "I have a medical problem. It's tough to talk about, but there is a treatment. I'm going to discuss the fact that I, among many other men, could use this to help that problem."
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Cite this: 25 Years of Viagra: A Huge Change in Attitudes About ED - Medscape - Jul 18, 2023.
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Authors and Disclosures
Authors and Disclosures
Author
Arthur L. Caplan, PhD
Director, Division of Medical Ethics, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY
Disclosure: Arthur L. Caplan, PhD, has disclosed the following relevant financial relationships:
Served as a director, officer, partner, employee, advisor, consultant, or trustee for: Johnson & Johnson's Panel for Compassionate Drug Use (unpaid position)
Serves as a contributing author and advisor for: Medscape
Editor's Note: Arthur L. Caplan reports that he consulted with Pfizer regarding the ethics of the initial marketing of Viagra.