Surgery I did not long before starting a holiday included 2 patients with
specific requests.
Pt. 1:-
Female, 40s, I'm going on holiday and my periods due. Can I have some
norethisterone? Given without hesitation, deviation, or repetition in
"just a minute".
Pt. 2:-
Male, 60's, diabetic. Tried Caverject but couldn't tolerate the needle.
Enquired re. Viagra .....
Which is social and which medical?
Why can patients receive treatment costing thousands of pounds for
non-dominant (and not life threatening) arm
injuries, yet we flinch at prescribing treatment for others with a
disabling but not life threatening problem?
Human function surely includes human sexuality. What is the ethical or
medical basis for those, like Jeremy Sager who wrote to Pulse, who claim
that Viagra should not be available on the NHS to those with a medical
need? Jeremy, function of any part of our bodies is a privilege more than
a right, but how do you justify the implication that one part of a person's
body is worth more than another?
If the consensus really is in the direction that prescribing Viagra on the
NHS is wrong should we all stop funding surgery with purely functional
benefit, prescribing contraception (non-medical and allows recreational
sex), HRT unless clear medical indications, drugs to delay periods etc?
Whatever the consensus we should be consistent and who could live with this
scenario?
JB
Lurker
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