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Viagra, Cialis, Levitra: The three musketeers of 21st century sexuality
MUHC holds public lecture to explain and clarify the differences between these three drugs.

Three to four million Canadian men between the ages of 40 and 70 years may suffer from some form of erectile dysfunction (ED). Drugs such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra are fast becoming household words in the treatment of ED. But what are the differences between them? Who can use what? What are the advantages of one over the other? The Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Health Centre (MUHC) is hosting a public information session to demystify the differences between these three drugs on October 12 at 6:30 pm, in the Employees' Lounge at the Royal Victoria Hospital.

"ED is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon. It can occur in varying degrees – ranging from complete ED, whereby a man can never achieve an erection sufficient for intercourse, to an inability to achieve a satisfactory erection intermittently. There are several medical interventions on the market to treat this condition: Viagra, Cialis and Levitra. But there are differences between them and specific guidelines about who can benefit from which drug," says Dr. Serge Carrier, director of the Sexual Dysfunction Clinic at the MUHC and the Sir Mortimer B. Davis Jewish General Hospital, an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, and one of the speakers.

"We hope to make men — in fact, couples — aware that these three medical treatments are very effective in treating ED and improving the overall quality of life. However, medical interventions alone are not always the best treatment strategy and psychological factors must always be addressed," says Julie Larouche, MUHC Coordinator of the Sexual Health Program and a clinical psychologist in the Sex and Couple Therapy Service of the Department of Psychology, who will also be speaking at the public information session.

This public information session, fourth of a series of sexual public health lectures hosted by the MUHC, is a joint venture of the departments of Psychology – Sex and Couple Therapy Service and Urology.

This event will be held on October 12, 2004 at 6:30 pm, in the Employees' Lounge at the Royal Victoria Hospital. Please note, this public information session will be in French. Speakers will take questions in both English and French.