If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s to never try to get erectile dysfunction drugs prescribed by someone widely referred to as a “shrink.”
A few years ago, I was diagnosed with a mild case of bipolar disorder, and my GP set me up with regular sessions with a psychiatrist.
My shrink and I fine-tuned a drug regimen (don’t tell the Scientologists), then spent our hour-long sessions having some great discussions about life. No subject was out of bounds. I gained some fascinating insights into the workings of the wires and switches stuffed into my skull.
However, when I told him of my decision to go into escorting, this did not go over well. We had a marathon debate over the issue that stretched over several sessions. His professional opinion on the matter was important to me, and I pressed him as to the reasons for his opposition.
He wasn’t worried about me breaking the law (I’m not). He wasn’t too worried about my personal safety (because it’s no different from any other guy that has safe sex with multiple partners). We went through the other potential impacts it would have on my life: How would my family react, limiting career opportunities, etcetera.
In the end, his reservations against it remained, although his reasons struck me as vague and inarticulate. I decided to go ahead, and we agreed to disagree.
Which is when he cancelled my prescription to Cialis, a drug that was already being legitimately being given to me.
He felt that to continue to prescribe an ED drug to me endorsed my decision to escort, and could put his license to practice medicine in jeopardy. He recommended that I go to another doctor or to order it over the internet.
I find his choice and his justification for it disturbing. It’s hard for me to dismiss the idea that morality, whether his own or of the medical establishment, was a factor in his decision.
It’s a dangerous step when it’s considered acceptable to screen patients for their ED prescriptions using morality as a criteria. I agree that a doctor should not write prescriptions that would be enabling a patient to put themselves in harm’s way. But in this case, it insinuates that need to be saved from myself, that I’m a victim, and that my decision wasn’t well considered.
I went to my family doctor and had my prescription filled through him. I skipped some details to get it, and that makes me feel very uncomfortable. The sexual health of the queer community depends on us being honest about our practices, and having the medical community on our side. Through this, I feel that some of that trust was eroded.
Why you can trust Xtra
