A new study in America has suggested that men who are using treatments for erectile dysfunction are more likely to suffer from a sexually transmitted disease.

The study was conducted by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of South California. The researchers looked at the records of around 1.4 million men who were all over forty and privately insured between the years of 1997 through to 2006. It’s the first time that such a large scale study of this type has been completed.

Of all the men in the study group, 34,000 had acquired Erectile Dysfunction treatments. Analysis has shown that these men were two to three times more likely to have suffered from a sexually transmitted disease either a year before or a year after receiving the treatment. The most common disease found was HIV/AIDS, followed by Chlamydia.

Researchers believe that taking ED drugs doesn’t increase the risk of contracting an STD. Instead it is suggested that a large portion of the men who are receiving the treatment are receiving it in order to enhance their sexual experiences. These men are more likely to take risks with their sexual health, such as not wearing a condom, according to experts.

Professor of Medicine at the University of South Carolina, Dr Peter Leone suggests that the study shows that “men who are using these drugs aren’t just those who have erectile dysfunction, but they’re also men in high risk groups.” Dr Leone, who is also head chair of the National Coalition of STD Directors, concluded that “it’s not that the drug is leading the behavior. Really it’s the other way round."

The results and analysis of the study has sparked calls for improved responsibility around the availability of ED drugs. Leone has called for regular follow ups and STD scanning for men who have been prescribed the treatments.