'Always ready': Men with erectile dysfunction having more sex during pandemic, study suggests
The stress of the pandemic undoubtedly put many off getting frisky.
A very specific group of people may have craved sex more amid the coronavirus outbreak, however.
Scientists from the University of Pittsburgh found sales of erectile dysfunction drugs soared after March 2020, when the US went into a nationwide lockdown.
Sales of the prescription-only daily-use treatments have risen fairly steadily since, suggesting men with erectile dysfunction are not slowing down.
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The "stay at home" restriction has meant many couples are spending an intense amount of time under the same roof, with one study suggesting people in poor relationships were more likely to be depressed during the height of lockdown.
Some unions may have benefitted from this newfound alone time, however, with men wanting to "always be ready".
"People's sexual lives contribute to the psychosocial fabric of society," said study author Dr Benjamin Davies.
"We saw a huge spike in sales of daily use erectile dysfunction drugs, which suggest some people were having more spontaneous sex than ever.
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"With their partners at home, they wanted to always be ready."
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The Pittsburgh scientists reviewed data from the National Sales Perspective.
Results, published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, reveal prescriptions of daily-use erectile dysfunction drugs soared shortly after the US went into lockdown.
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The scientists believe these sales are a proxy for the amount of sexual activity men with erectile dysfunction were having, with impotence generally affecting older males.
Sales of other drugs, like those that treat urinary issues, did not change after the pandemic hit.
Perhaps surprisingly, sales of erectile dysfunction medication slightly dipped between March and April 2020, but have risen steadily since.
Sales of tadalafil specifically – a once-a-day drug that "helps with spontaneous sexual activity"– nearly doubled from February to December 2020.
"Changes in sales of erectile dysfunction drugs can indicate important problems and point out issues in people's general wellbeing," said Dr Davies.
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