Viagra could help with a problem that plagues up to 90% of women — but there’s a catch

Nypost · May 11, 2026 · 416 words · By Rachel Sacks

Pharmaceutical Application Medical Research Women's Health

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/11/health/viagra-could-help-up-to-90-of-women-but-the…

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Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

9 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

info Single Source 4

check_circle Corroborated 2

report Misleading 1

verified Verified 1

help Insufficient Evidence 1

report

“research showing Viagra can improve the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes as well as treat enlarged prostates”

MISLEADING

While the evidence mentions sildenafil is used for pulmonary arterial hypertension and can be used for hypertension, it does not support the claim that it 'improves the risk' of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. In fact, one source notes it does not appear to affect the risk of death or serious side effects in PAH patients.

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web search NEUTRAL — While sildenafil improves some markers of disease in people with pulmonary arterial hypertension, it does not appear to affect the risk of death or serious side effects.[20].
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sildenafil

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web search NEUTRAL — Sildenafil is used to treat erectile dysfunction in adult men or pulmonary arterial hypertension in adults and children, depending on the brand or formulation. Includes sildenafil side effects, intera…
https://www.drugs.com/sildenafil.html

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web search NEUTRAL — Sildenafil can still be used to treat hypertension, but today, the primary use of this PDE5 inhibitor is to remedy ED. Other first-line treatment options for blood pressure and heart disease are now c…
https://www.aol.com/lifestyle/viagra-treats-side-effects-plu…

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“nearly all women have suffered through extremely painful PMS or menstrual symptoms — known as dysmenorrhea”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent medical sources (AAFP and IASP) confirm that dysmenorrhea affects up to 90% of adolescent girls and young women.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — "Shut up" is a direct command with a meaning very similar to "be quiet" and "be silent", but which is commonly perceived as a more forceful command to stop making noise or otherwise communicating, suc…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shut_up

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Up most often refers to the relative direction opposed to down. Up or UP may also refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Up, Up and Away may refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up,_Up_and_Away

+ 3 more evidence sources

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“One study saw promising results of sildenafil citrate — the active ingredient in Viagra — to treat acute pain from PMS”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided web search results for this specific claim are generic descriptions of sildenafil. However, one specific search result ('Vaginally administered ED medication may alleviate menstrual...') mentions sildenafil citrate alleviating acute menstrual pain, but this appears to be a single specific study/source rather than a widely corroborated medical fact.

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web search NEUTRAL — The use of sildenafil and an α1 blocker (typically prescribed for hypertension or for urologic conditions, such as benign prostatic hypertrophy) at the same time may lead to low blood pressure, but th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sildenafil

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web search NEUTRAL — Sildenafil is also sometimes used to treat pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the blood vessels that supply the lungs). If you have erection problems sildenafil works by temporarily increa…
https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/sildenafil-viagra/about-sildena…

info

“The 2013 study in Human Reproduction examined the effects of a single 100-milligram dose of the erectile dysfunction medication in women ages 18 to 35 experiencing moderate to severe dysmenorrhea.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The search result 'Vaginally administered ED medication may alleviate menstrual...' refers to the efficacy of sildenafil for menstrual pain, but the specific details regarding the 2013 Human Reproduction study (100mg dose, ages 18-35) are not independently corroborated by the other provided sources, which are generic Wikipedia or dosage guides.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Human sexual reproduction, to produce offspring, begins with fertilization. Successful reproduction typically involves sexual intercourse between a healthy, sexually mature and fertile male and female…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_reproduction

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Reproduction (or procreation or breeding) is the biological process by which new individual organisms – offspring – are produced from their parent or parents. There are two forms of reproduction: asex…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reproduction

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Reproduction is the debut studio album released by the English synth-pop group the Human League. The album was released on 5 October 1979 by Virgin Records.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reproduction_(album)

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

“The medication is inserted into the vagina.”

VERIFIED

The search result 'Vaginally administered ED medication may alleviate menstrual...' explicitly states that sildenafil citrate was administered vaginally to alleviate acute menstrual pain.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — 2013 (MMXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2013th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 13th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following tables list films released in 2013. Three popular films (Top Gun, Jurassic Park, and The Wizard of Oz) were re-released in 3D and IMAX.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_in_film

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Numerous video games were released in 2013. Many awards went to games such as Madden NFL 25, NBA 2K14, WWE 2K14, NBA Live 14, BioShock Infinite, Grand Theft Auto V, The Last of Us, and The Legend of Z…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_in_video_games

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

“Sildenafil did show pain relief, as well as improvement in blood flow during menstrual cycles, with no adverse effects”

SINGLE SOURCE

The search result 'Vaginally administered ED medication may alleviate menstrual...' confirms pain relief and the hypothesis of increased blood flow with no reported side effects, but this is based on a single study result and not widely corroborated across multiple independent medical sources.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Penile–vaginal intercourse, or just vaginal intercourse, is the insertion of an erect penis into a vagina. It is the primary form of copulation in mammals, and of penetrative sexual intercourse in hum…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penile–vaginal_intercourse

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The vagina (pl.: vaginas or vaginae) is the elastic, muscular reproductive organ of the female genital tract through which mammals copulate and give birth. In humans, it extends from the vulval vestib…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vagina

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Vaginal lubrication is a naturally produced fluid that lubricates the vagina. Vaginal lubrication production increases significantly during sexual arousal in anticipation of sexual intercourse. Vagina…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaginal_lubrication

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

“Only 25 women signed up, with 13 receiving the medication dose and the rest taking a placebo.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of generic information about sildenafil and dysmenorrhea; none of the sources provide the specific sample size (25 women) or the split (13 treatment, 12 placebo) for the 2013 study.

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web search NEUTRAL — Sildenafil has been studied for high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), but its use is currently not recommended for that indication.[23].
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sildenafil

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web search NEUTRAL — Primary dysmenorrhea is a common disease in women. China, under the influence of their philosophical wisdom, has developed unique theories of common clinical...Traditional Chinese medicine has a long …
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/…

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“Current treatments for dysmenorrhea include hormonal birth control, over-the-counter pain relievers like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and home remedies like a heating pad.”

CORROBORATED

Three independent sources (Wikipedia, Patient Education, and a medical guide) confirm that NSAIDs, hormonal contraceptives, and heating pads are standard treatments for dysmenorrhea.

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web search NEUTRAL — Treatment. Heating pad, medication[3].Treatments that target the mechanism of pain include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and hormonal contraceptives.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysmenorrhea

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web search NEUTRAL — If the initial dysmenorrhea treatment fails. The most effective treatments for dysmenorrhea include NSAIDs and/or hormonal birth control treatments.
https://www.uptodate.com/contents/painful-menstrual-periods-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Here are some dysmenorrhea treatment options that can help relieve painful periods: NSAIDs and pain relievers: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and naproxen are often th…
https://www.metropolisindia.com/blog/preventive-healthcare/d…

help

“a hysterectomy, a surgical procedure that completely removes the uterus, ends menstruation and curbs the ability to become pregnant.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided or found in the search results to evaluate this claim.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.

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Viagra could help with a problem that plagues up to 90% of women — but there’s a catch

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