Abuse of sexual-enhancement drugs in Babylon

Abstract EN

Background :Drug abuse is defined as using of drugs for a non-therapeutic or non-medical effect.

In Iraq drug abuse is wide range problem because almost any drug can be easily obtained from pharmacies and drug stores.

Sexual-enhancement drugs are widely used without a prescription.

The aim : The study was conducted to verify the abuse of sexual-enhancement drugs by people attending private pharmacies to purchase these drugs in Babylon.

Subjects and Method : Three-hundred and forty males who use these drugs of different ages were collected randomly in Babylon.

Questionnaire included the following questions ; age, whether the drug is prescribed by physician or not, the reason for use, causes of impotence, type of drug used, also the subjects were asked about the dose, frequency dose of these drugs and lastly whether they had suffered side effects from these drugs or not.

Results : The results showed that 67 % of subjects using these drugs were between 25-50 years old.

The study also revealed that 84 % of those subjects use these drugs without prescription and the reason for use, in 58 % of subjects, was to increase the efficiency during sexual intercourse and not due to impotence and the impotence in 58 % of impotent patient is due to disease.

Furthermore the results showed that the most drug type used is Sildenafil (55 %) and most of them used the highest dose.

The study also showed that 71 % of subjects use these drugs twice weekly and 65 % of those subjects had developed moderate side effects from the use of these drugs.

Conclusion : The results indicate that there is an abuse of sexual enhancement drugs and most of them are not used on the therapeutic or scientific bases.