Health economics and sexual dysfunction. Based on a presentation by Cyril F. Chang, PhD

Erectile dysfunction (ED) and the results of its treatment are two separate issues, centering on how outcomes of the disorder affect the economy and the impact its treatment has on quality of life. The treatment of ED has been an $800-million-a-year business in the United States alone. The recent introduction of the drug sildenafil raises the possibility that revenues from its sale could reap billions of dollars for the pharmaceutical industry, with much of that cost being borne by the managed care industry. The introduction of sildenatil raises new cost-effectiveness concerns about all available treatment options. Both the National Institutes of Health and the American Urological Association have identified the need for better studies whose outcomes could be used to analyze the problem of ED.