Israeli soldiers are to be provided with Viagra

Israeli armed forces are used to highly demanding orders and expectations from the Israel defence ministry. However, the soldiers’ performance in other areas will soon be boosted after the defence ministry ordered supplies of the erectile dysfunction medication Viagra for its troops.

According to Haaretz newspaper in Israel, “1,200 tablets of 100 mg sildenafil citrate, the active ingredient in Viagra,” has been requested and will be provided as a treatment for soldiers with sexual performance problems. The sildenafil tablets have been asked for specifically for soldiers, and not for any other personnel such as defence ministry employees.

However, this request for sildenafil citrate may surprise many as the Israeli Army have not always been so generous to active duty soldiers who are seeking help in that department. Haaretz mentions that in 2005 the Israeli Army forbid those in its Air Force from taking Viagra prior to any flights in case any blurred vision was experienced.

The sildenafil tablets are amongst a long list of 105 items being sought by defence chiefs who are usually more occupied with procuring the most up-to-date military hardware. Other items which feature on the list include tyres, devices to warm the wounded and sweet chilli sauce.

The defence ministry decided not to provide a comment on the tender, citing privacy concerns. There should be no embarrassment though, Viagra’s popularity as a treatment for erectile dysfunction has skyrocketed around the globe since its launch 15 years ago and indeed, the United States Department of Defense (DOD) have spent a huge amount of money on helping soldiers overcome the same problem.

An investigation by Texas newspaper The Austin American-Statesmen, actually found the DOD spent over $380 million on erectile-dysfunction drugs during 2002 to 2012.

Previously, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) are also believed to have sought another erectile dysfunction drug – ‘the weekend pill’ Cialis – for helping to keep pilots more alert and awake when during flights at high altitudes.

This followed a study of 51 Israeli mountaineers who attempted to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, said that they had reduced altitude sickness when they took Cialis. Interestingly, the majority of those who were taking Cialis also managed to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro.

It is not just Cialis that has demonstrated other uses though, and the potential of Viagra seems to know no limits as the ‘little blue pill’ shows proficiency in many other areas than male impotence.  For example, studies have suggested Viagra could help to boost baby growth in the womb, fight obesity and even help plants to grow.