‘Just Take Viagra’: Erectile Insurance, Prophylactic Certainty and Deficit Correction in Gay Men’s Accounts of Sexuopharmaceutical Use

Abstract

Gay men’s recreational use of Viagra and similar drugs has received considerable attention in the public health literature, implicating Viagra as a risk factor for HIV transmission. Framed by work on the pharmaceuticalization of everyday life and critical Viagra studies, gay men’s accounts are analysed to assess the ways in which Viagra is understood, valued and experienced. Viagra was commonly described as a corrective remedy that guaranteed erectile performance, aided condom use and simplified decisions about safe sex. The mismatch between public health discourse and gay men’s understandings of Viagra, as well as the reliance on Viagra for safe sex, are discussed in relation to harm reduction and HIV prevention efforts, suggesting a need to encourage critical reflection on sexuopharmaceutical use among gay men.