The advent of Viagra as the first pill treatment for erectile dysfunction has changed this area of medicine beyond all recognition. While the treatment advance is very important, its real achievement was to break the taboo which surrounded male sexuality until the late 1990s.

Before the media attention surrounding Viagra, men of a certain age were not given to discussing sexual problems with their doctors. Gentle inquiries from GPs were met with a fixed grin and a "no problem, doc" response. This despite the fact that five per cent of the male population has erectile dysfunction.

During advance publicity stage, middle-aged men stayed firmly in their bunkers. However, about two months after Viagra came on the market here, inquiries began to emerge. Sometimes it was: "Do you think that Viagra stuff would suit me". Others were more up-front in their approach, more comfortable discussing the problem in a matter-of-fact way.

The sensitivity of some of the older men surprised me. For a generation brought up with very different attitudes to sex, the concerns they felt for their wives and partners as a result of their perceived inadequacy was actually quite touching.

Now the request for a repeat Viagra prescription is almost as routine as that for the inhalers or painkillers. For those who found Viagra didn't work, other treatments can be offered. The important breakthrough, however, is that these men can now discuss their sexuality in an open and relaxed way. This, to me, is the real success of Viagra.