Health InsuranceBritish Men Think Talking About Impotence Is "Just Not Cricket"
With the first innings of the Ashes commencing this week, celebrity TV
presenter and former England cricketer and spin ace, Phil Tufnell is calling
on British blokes to think about their health as well as the Ashes Test
Series this summer. Concerned that many men may not be able to bowl their
maiden over, Phil is encouraging blokes who may experience impotence to visit
http://www.bowlyourmaidenover.com to learn about the condition and why their
doctor is best placed to help. Bowl Your Maiden Over is sponsored and brought
to you by Lilly UK.
Impotence is common. 40% of men over the age of 40 have experienced some
degree of impotence(1) yet many do not speak to a doctor(2). The latest data
suggest that almost one third of men attempt to self-treat impotence by
purchasing treatments from uncontrolled s(2)(*). In the case of
medicines, a study showed 65% accessed from these s are imitations with
relatively high health risks(2). Bowl Your Maiden Over encourages men to
avoid unnecessary risk and to speak to their GP about impotence and the range
of different treatment options available - 95% of cases can be treated by a
healthcare professional(3).
Commenting on why men fail to take appropriate action on impotence, Phil
Tufnell says, "Over five and a half million fellas in the UK may be
experiencing some degree of impotence,(1,4) but no one seems to talk about
it. But because of all this embarrassment and silence, men don"t know what to
do about the condition. So I"m encouraging blokes to take action. The message
is simple: lads, if you can"t bowl your maiden over, go to
http://www.bowlyourmaidenover.com and then, if necessary, visit your GP for
help."
Research shows that most men wait for a year or longer before speaking to
their GP.(5) Commenting on this, media doctor and GP Rob Hicks says, "There"s
really no need for embarrassment when it comes to impotence. This is a common
condition that GPs see week in, week out. Given this, it"s strange that men
still duck for cover when the word is mentioned. There"s no need - this is
not an out-of-bounds condition. GPs are used to talking about it and want to
help."
Supporting the call for men to take appropriate action on impotence, Rob
adds, "I want men to enjoy the cricket this summer but to also think about
their health. I"m urging men to tackle the issue head on and get information
from qualified s. On top of that, impotence may impact on a couple"s
relationship so it makes sense to speak to your GP and get things back on
track(6)."
Concluding, Phil Tufnell says, "I"m looking forward to sharing some top
cricket stats with blokes this summer but before the Ashes gets underway, I
want to knock about some facts on impotence: you"re not alone if you
experience it. In fact, if a large Test ground, such as Lord"s, was full of
men aged 40 and over, at least 10,000 blokes would have experienced
impotence(1,7). Trying to get help without speaking to a professional is a
risky business, so get down to the GP and make sure your kit is in order."
As a first step, men can visit a new impotence information website at
http://www.bowlyourmaidenover.com. It is provided alongside
http://www.40over40.com, a website that offers information and advice about
impotence and includes a simple action plan to help men prepare for a
conversation with their GP. Both websites are sponsored and brought to you by
Eli Lilly and Company Limited (Lilly UK).
Notes
* Uncontrolled s of impotence treatments tend to provide services
without the patient requiring a medical consultation and/or prescription
Decisions about impotence treatment and men"s overall health should be
made by patients in consultation with a doctor. Buying treatments from
internet sites, or other s, which do not provide professional,
qualified medical advice puts the patient at risk.
What is impotence?
Impotence, or erectile dysfunction, occurs when the penis does not get
hard (erect) enough to allow a man to have sexual activity. This happens
because not enough blood can get into, or stay, in the penis(6).
What causes impotence?
In most cases, the cause of impotence is a physical one. It can be a
symptom of other illnesses including diabetes, high blood pressure or nerve
problems(6,8,9,10). In many cases there will be a combination of both
physical and psychological factors.
Why has http://www.bowlyourmaidenover.com been developed?
Impotence is commonly experienced by men over the age of 40,(1) many of
who may be cricket fans. A cricket analogy is being used in this summer"s
impotence information campaign to help men engage with this health problem
and discuss the topic with their GP. The Bowl Your Maiden Over disease
awareness campaign is in association with http://www.40over40.com, an
erectile dysfunction educational website.
Both activities/res are sponsored and brought to you by Eli Lilly
and Company Limited (Lilly UK).
Disease awareness campaigns
Guidance is provided on healthcare communications and disease awareness
campaigns in the UK by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory
Agency (MHRA) and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry
(ABPI). More information can be found at: http://www.mhra.gov.uk/ and
http://www.abpi.org.uk/links/assoc/PMCPA/pmpca_code2006.pdf
References
1) Feldman HA, Goldstein I, Hatzichristou DG et al. Impotence
and its medical and psychological correlates: results of the
Massachusetts male aging study. Journal of Urology 1994; 151(1): 54 - 61
2) Banks I, Kirby M, Marfatia A et al. Assessment, in a general
population of men, of men"s interaction with the healthcare system to
obtain Phospodiesterase Type 5 Inhibitors. Poster presented at Joint
Congress of the European and International Societies for Sexual Medicine,
Belgium, 2008
3) WGBH Educational Foundation 2006, Impotence: causes and treatments,
http://www.jcn.co.uk/journal.asp.?MonthNum=10&YearNum=1999 &Type=backissue&ArticleID=186
Last accessed 19.06.09
(Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste
this hyperlink into your Internet browser"s URL address field. Remove the
space if one exists.)
4) 14,052,000 men in the UK are aged 40 or over according to data
from the Office for National Statistics, General Register Office for
Scotland, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research
Agency:http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=15106. Last
accessed 23.06.09. 40% of men over the age of 40 have experienced some
degree of impotence according to Feldman HA et al. (reference 1 within
this document). It can therefore be calculated that 5,620,800 men in the
UK may be experiencing some form of impotence
5) Haro JM, Beardsworth A, Casariego J et al. Treatment-seeking
behavior of erectile dysfunction patients in Europe: results of the
erectile dysfunction observational study. Journal of Sexual Medicine
2006; 3: 530 - 540
6) Miller TA. Diagnostic evaluation of erectile dysfunction.
American Family Physician 2000; 61(1): 95 - 104, 109 - 110
7) BBC Sport venue guide,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport/hi/english/static/in_depth/cricket/2001/ashes/venues/lords.stm.
Last accessed 12.06.09
(Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste
this hyperlink into your Internet browser"s URL address field. Remove the
space if one exists.)
8) Wagner G, Mulhall J. Pathophysiology and diagnosis of male
erectile dysfunction. BJU International 2001; 88 (Suppl 3): 3 - 10
9) Bloomgarden ZT. American Diabetes Association annual meeting,
1999: nephropathy and neuropathy. Diabetes Care 2000; 23(4): 549 - 556
10) Dey J, Shepherd MD. Evaluation and treatment of erectile
dysfunction in men with diabetes mellitus. Mayo Clinic Proceedings 2002;
77: 276 - 282
This activity is sponsored and brought to you by Eli Lilly and Company
Limited (Lilly UK). Eli Lilly and Company Limited, Basingstoke, RG24 9NL.
Prepared June 2009, UKCLS00232
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Eli Lilly and Company Limited