Viagra banned in Egypt Viagra is banned in Egypt. The authorities say they want to do their own tests before licensing it. Last year, when the drug first appeared, there was intense public debate over both the social and medical merits of the drug. In May 1998, three Egyptians were taken to intensive care apparently suffering from side effects caused by Viagra. But although the headlines have now died away, the demand for Viagra has not.
Doctors say male impotence in Egypt is relatively common, in part because of smoking and diabetes.
One of Egypt's leading experts says he also has more and more young people turning up at his surgery complaining both of impotence and infertility. He blames this on high levels of pollution and on the widespread use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in Egyptian agriculture. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Links to other Middle East stories are at the foot of the page.