Although there were some treatments available previously, the introduction of Viagra to the market in 1998 utterly revolutionized the treatment of erectile dysfunction in men. Since that time, a multibillion dollar global industry has developed selling erectile dysfunction medications based on the original formulation of Viagra. Today a wealth of options exist for men suffering from this condition, however many men still opt to purchase their medication online. There are two primary reasons for this: the social stigma surrounding erectile dysfunction and the price of the medication.

Sexual potency and virility has always been a primary indicator of masculinity, therefore erectile dysfunction leads to both a lack of confidence in the person affected by the condition and a general lack of respect for the person from society at large. Though erectile dysfunction is normal and natural and most men suffer from it to one extent or another at some point in their lives, the fact remains that this condition conveys the social message that the man is inadequate and this leads to a strong social stigma felt by both the sufferer as well as others at large.

Consequently, many men are very hesitant to address the issue at all. Studies have shown that those who do approach their doctors and seek help are a minority of those suffering from the condition. Even among those that do seek professional help for erectile dysfunction, many are intimidated by the idea of having to visit their local pharmacy and ask for their medication publicly due to the embarrassment factor. For this reason many men that receive a prescription for erectile dysfunction medication still prefer to buy Viagra through the Internet as opposed to in person at their local pharmacy.

The second reason that many people choose to buy Viagra online is for the better prices found online. Name brand Viagra is sold by the producer at a fixed price and then the retailer the local pharmacy adds on a percentage in order to make a profit on the medication. The result is that brick and mortar pharmacies almost always charge higher prices for the medication than online pharmacies simply because they have much higher overhead expenses that have to be covered. Online pharmacies, on the other hand, can afford to make less of a profit on each pill simply because their bills and operating expenses are much lower.

Further, until the patents expire between 2011 and 2013, in most Western pharmacies, the only option available is name brand Viagra as opposed to more reasonably priced generic alternatives. However, online pharmacies have access to generic Viagra - sildenafil citrate which is not available in most Western countries. This means that if one wants sildenafil citrate, or generic Viagra, and lives in a Western country, the only option available is the Internet for the time being. As is always the case, the generic versions are much more reasonably priced, though substantively they are the same thing.

If one wants to avoid the public embarrassment of confessing erectile dysfunction problems to your local pharmacist, purchasing you medication online offers a viable alternative and the drugs are delivered quietly to door. Likewise, if you are concerned about the price and looking to save money, buying either name brand Viagra or generic sildenafil citrate online offers significant savings over your local pharmacy.

Author Resource:-> Isaac Coleman is a freelance writer and associate of an online pharmacy where people can buy Viagra.
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