Few topics are of greater interest to my patients than sexuality. And why not? A rich and rewarding sex life is something men and women enjoy and appreciate. But today’s advertising paints a pretty weird picture!

Most of you have seen the barrage of ads on TV and in newspapers and magazines for drugs claiming to cure “E.D” – erectile dysfunction. When I see these relentless ads for drugs like Viagra and Cialis, I always laugh at the fast talking disclaimer at the end, where the announcer (reading a script surely written by the Legal Department) says something like, “Be sure to check with your doctor to make sure you are healthy enough for sexual activity.” The purpose of this disclaimer is to protect the company: if you do get over excited and topple over dead while making love, this careful wording ensures that it’s your family doctor who gets sued rather than the multi-billion dollar drug company.

But it also raises a larger and more important issue. I believe that not dropping dead during sex is a triumph of low expectations!