A recent study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior investigated how the use of Viagra and testosterone, alongside biological factors like erectile dysfunction (ED) and natural testosterone levels, impacts societal views of masculinity and sexual esteem. The findings highlight that female orgasm can significantly enhance a man’s perceived masculinity, serving to “rescue” masculinity when natural testosterone levels are low.
A key motivation behind the study was the recognition that societal beliefs about drug use can influence actual behavior. Men might use medications like Viagra or testosterone not solely for their physical benefits, but also because they believe these drugs will enhance their social image and sense of masculinity.
In two experiments, the researchers sought to investigate whether the use of these medications could affect how others perceive a man’s masculinity and sexual esteem. Additionally, they aimed to determine if these perceptions are influenced by whether a man’s female partner experiences orgasm, a factor often linked to male sexual performance and competence.
For their first experiment, the researchers recruited 522 participants from an online platform called Prolific. Participants had to be fluent in English, citizens of the United States, and had no prior involvement in related studies from the research team. The final sample consisted of 54% men and 46% women, with an average age of 32.2 years.
Participants were randomly assigned to read one of eight vignettes. These vignettes described a hypothetical male target who had engaged in sexual activity three times with a female partner who either always or never had an orgasm. The scenarios also varied based on whether the male had a history of ED and whether he was using Viagra.
After reading the assigned vignette, participants answered three reading comprehension questions to ensure they understood the scenario. They then completed modified versions of the Affect and Arousal Scale and the Sexuality Scale to assess their perceptions of the male target’s masculinity and sexual esteem.
The results showed that female partner orgasm significantly increased perceptions of the male target’s masculinity and sexual esteem. However, if the male had a history of ED, these perceptions were lower.
A significant interaction was found between female partner orgasm, the male’s history of ED, and Viagra use. Specifically, the male was rated as more masculine and having higher sexual esteem if his partner had orgasms and he had ED (regardless of Viagra use) or did not use Viagra. If the male did not have ED but was using Viagra, female partner orgasm did not enhance perceptions of his masculinity.
“The results of Experiment 1 provide support for the notion 1) that social perceptions of male masculinity (and sexual esteem) are impacted by aspects of sexual performance (i.e., female partner orgasm and ED and 2) that use of Viagra, when not justified by an underlying biological condition (i.e., ED), abrogates the impact of female orgasm on social perceptions of male masculinity,” the researchers explained. “Therefore, as hypothesized, when not medically justified, use of drugs to enhance sexual performance may violate the self-reliance rule of masculinity.”
The second experiment involved 711 participants, also recruited from Prolific under the same eligibility criteria as the first experiment. The final sample had an average age of 30.9 years.
Participants in this experiment read one of 12 vignettes describing a hypothetical male with either low, normal, or high natural testosterone levels. The scenarios also varied based on whether the male was taking testosterone and whether his female partner always or never had an orgasm during their sexual encounters. Similar to Experiment 1, participants answered reading comprehension questions and completed the modified Affect and Arousal Scale and Sexuality Scale to assess perceptions of the male target’s masculinity and sexual esteem.
Natural testosterone levels significantly influenced perceptions of masculinity and sexual esteem. The male target was perceived as more masculine and having higher sexual esteem as his natural testosterone levels increased. Female partner orgasm also boosted these perceptions, particularly when the male had low natural testosterone levels.
However, taking exogenous testosterone did not significantly impact perceptions of masculinity or sexual esteem. There was no significant interaction between taking testosterone, natural testosterone levels, and female partner orgasm.
“Much like the simple effect in Experiment 1 of female orgasm heightening perceptions of the male target’s masculinity if he had a history of ED (regardless of Viagra use), in Experiment 2, female partner orgasm served to ‘rescue’ social perceptions of masculinity lost to a low level of testosterone,” the researchers said. “… the results of Experiment 2 revealed that when the male target’s female partner always had an orgasm during sex with him there was no difference in his masculinity rating between when he had low levels of ‘natural’ testosterone compared to when he had normal ‘natural’ levels of the hormone.”
The study, “Social Perceptions of Masculinity and Sexual Esteem Are Impacted by Viagra Use, Testosterone, and Sexual Performance,” was authored by Wayne R. Hawley, Bryn A. Cancilla, Julia L. Barnes, and Gregory D. Morrow.