One of the most widely seen symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder is erectile dysfunction. To help both active-duty servicemen and veterans overcome the effects of ED, the Pentagon shells out millions of dollars every year. In 2014 alone, according to the Defense Health Agency, the U.S. Defense Department’s bill for ED medications topped $84 million, almost half of which was spent on Viagra.

The U.S. military’s spending on ED drugs dwarfs its gender transition-related outlays on behalf of transgendered troops, which range from $2.4 million to $8.4 million, according to a study conducted by the Rand Corporation. In late July, President Trump announced a ban on transgender people serving in the military, citing the “tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.”

In the wake of the president’s transgender ban, some observers suggested — tongue in cheek, no doubt — that men, being susceptible to erectile dysfunction, might be the next group to be barred from service.

Not a Laughing Matter 

None of this, of course, is a laughing matter. The reality is that the incidence of Sexual Dysfunction is extraordinarily high among active-duty troops and veterans — both male and female — who suffer from PTSD. According to a study published in the April 2015 issue of “The Journal of Sexual Medicine,” this sexual dysfunction manifests itself primarily as ED in men and as vaginal pain in women.

An earlier study, published in the November 2002 issue of “Urology,” explored the incidence and the severity of sexual dysfunction among combat veterans both with and without symptoms of PTSD. Researchers recruited a study group of 90 combat veterans — 44 diagnosed with PTSD and 46 with no symptoms of the disorder.

High Incidence of ED

The researchers found that the incidence of erectile dysfunction among veterans with PTSD was 85 percent, compared with only 22 percent among combat veterans who were not suffering from it. While ED was the most common form of sexual dysfunction diagnosed among veterans with PTSD, they were found to suffer from other forms of sexual dysfunction as well.

The magnitude of the Pentagon’s spending on ED drugs was first publicized in an article posted at MilitaryTimes.com on February 13, 2015. Writer Patricia Kime noted that the Pentagon’s total spending on ED drugs from January 2011 through December 2014 was $294 million, or nearly $74 million per year. The 2011-2014 spending, wrote Kime, was roughly equivalent to the cost of four U.S. Air Force F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.

$41.6 Million for Viagra

Of the $84.2 million the Pentagon spent on ED drugs in 2014, nearly half — $41.6 million — went toward purchases of Viagra, which in 1998 was the first of the new wave of oral ED drugs to hit the market. Viagra, developed and marketed by Pfizer, will begin to face generic competition in December 2017, which should signal the start of a downtrend in prices for the medication. Teva Pharmaceuticals USA will be the first to introduce a generic formulation of the drug, which will be marketed under the name of sildenafil citrate, the active ingredient in Viagra.

Given the extreme psychological stress experienced by combat veterans with PTSD, it’s hardly surprising that the incidence of sexual dysfunction is particularly high among those diagnosed with the disorder. Giving them a chance to regain relatively normal erectile function is just one step in helping them recover from PTSD.

Combat Veteran Recounts His Experience

In its report on the Pentagon’s spending for ED drugs and the prevalence of ED among veterans diagnosed with PTSD, Quartz Media LLC spoke with combat veteran Adrian Bonenberger who served in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2010. Upon his return to the United States, Bonenberger was diagnosed with PTSD and also suffered from ED. In a Facebook post, which he gave Quartz permission to quote, he said he was prescribed Viagra as part of his PTSD therapy. “Sex was impossible for me without it,” he wrote. “That stuff [Viagra] helps traumatized combat vets. I’m living proof.”

Although hardly as common among civilians as among combat vets, ED is a problem for millions of men across the United States. If you are finding it difficult to get and keep an erection hard and long-lasting enough for sexual intercourse, Viagra or one of the other oral ED drugs may be the answer for you. To get it, you’ll need a prescription, which you can get from your doctor or from a trustworthy online supplier, such as eDrugstore.com.

Ordering from eDrugstore.com

If you already have a prescription, you can fax it or scan and email it along with your order to eDrugstore. If you don’t have a prescription and would prefer not to discuss your symptoms of impotence with your regular doctor, eDrugstore can set up an online consultation with one of its licensed U.S. physicians. If your symptoms and medical history make you an appropriate candidate for the drug, the doctor will authorize it.

Based in Tempe, Arizona, eDrugstore is part of the Secure Medical family of online drugstores that have been supplying FDA-approved prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs since 1998. To learn more about ED and the medications available to treat it, click here to access eDrugstore’s Erection Problems page.