By Emily Murray

Perhaps when dealing with cancer you would think that libido would be the last thing to cross your mind. Maintaining a healthy sexual relationship however has been known to have a positive impact on healing and both mental and physical health.

For men battling prostate cancer, new research has shown that using the erectile dysfunction medication Viagra may help men improve their overall sexual function even after treatment which can negatively impact the ability for a man to get an erection.  The new study has revealed that when men take Viagra, both before and after undergoing radiation therapy, they are far more successful when it comes to achieving and maintaining an erection and therefore continuing a healthy sex life.

The study involved patients who had prostate cancer which had not spread and had either been treated with external-beam radiation or another form of therapy which involves permanent radioactive “seed” implants. These men were given either a 50-milligram a day dose of Viagra or a placebo for the six months following the therapy and even while undergoing treatment.

In order to keep track of their sex lives and satisfaction levels, questionnaires were completed at various stages including prior to treatment and 6, 12 and 24 months after.

The men who received the active Viagra recorded much higher levels of overall sexual satisfaction than those who had unknowingly been given the placebo.

For men, battling prostate cancer is something that is hard to recover from emotionally even if the body has begun to heal. With the assistance of Viagra, it appears men can start getting their lives back on track. When men experience erectile dysfunction, it can have a devastating impact on their overall mental health and well being and thanks to new breakthroughs like this, it may be one less obstacle for men battling prostate cancer to overcome.