A teenager who became addicted to Viagra at the age of 13 says the drug has ruined his childhood, according to a report by the UK’s Sunday Mirror.
This is a pretty extreme story, but it shows something important about what the upcoming generations believe about sex.
The now 16-year-old, who wishes to remain anonymous, began watching porn on his smartphone at the age of 12. Shortly after, he says he turned to the prescription pill after friends told him he would be “bad in bed” when he lost his virginity with a new girlfriend. He said he wanted to be like men in porn clips, so he turned to male enhancement drugs. It wasn’t long after that he says he became “addicted” to the drug, taking up to six pills a night at sex parties in his hometown in England.
The young teen is currently undergoing therapy with doctors who are now saying that his case is not uncommon. Steve Pope, the psychotherapist who is treating him, commented: “Schoolboys think it’s just a bit of harmless fun. But the initial buzz from the chemical combined with the feeling of invincibility makes it hugely psychologically addictive.”
Related: PIED 101: The Science Behind Porn-Induced Erectile Dysfunction
The teen only admitted to his problem when he found out he could not get aroused without Viagra, after stealing hundreds of dollars from his parents to fund his prescriptions. In the interview, he said:
“I feel I have no childhood now. It is ruined… Most people think Viagra’s for middle-aged men, but you can easily get it in schools now. Parents and kids really need to know what’s going on. I wish I had never tried it.”
The young teen has claimed that at least a third of males his age have tried the drug. He said when he told his girlfriend he had used the prescription drug for maintaining an erection for a longer period of time, she welcomed it and asked if he could get more. His friends quoted a price of over $5 per pill.
Related: Sex Before Kissing – How 15-Year-Old Girls Are Dealing With Porn-Addicted Boys
“I couldn’t afford it—my pocket money barely paid for a pill a week, so I started stealing money from mom’s purse. I felt horrible, but in my mind, I had no choice—not taking Viagra wasn’t an option,” he said. “I was disgusted with myself but I didn’t know how to control it and I was terrified my parents would find out.”
Since revealing his addiction to his parents, the teen has been diagnosed with compulsive sexual behavior and is in bi-weekly psychotherapy sessions.
Why This Matters
Living in a society where pornography has become normalized into the mainstream, it is no wonder that we are seeing shocking stories like this in the news. Whether it be massive porn-sharing groups in high schools or 7th graders who are expected to start shaving pubic hair, porn culture is shaping our generation’s attitudes and perceptions of sex.
Instead of being in tune with their own natural sexuality, the upcoming generation is having their tastes and preferences shaped by hardcore pornography. This negative rearranging of sexuality is having sincere negative effects on this generation and surely many to come.
This is why we exist, to shine a light on how porn is harming perceptions of what healthy sex is.
