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It started as a heart medication… and accidentally ended up giving the world a boner.

Welcome to Episode 2 of the Shameless Care Podcast, where hosts Robert and Anna unravel the stiff (and surprisingly funny) history of Viagra—a drug that didn’t just change men’s sex lives, but transformed public conversations about aging, masculinity, pharma, feminism, and, yes, insurance coverage.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Viagra was accidentally discovered when men in a heart study refused to give the test drug back… for very obvious reasons.
• Why Pfizer ditched the “heart pill” dream and leaned all the way into erections—and coined the phrase “erectile dysfunction” to destigmatize impotence.
• The lightning-fast FDA approval in 1998, making Viagra the first oral ED medication—and the fastest-selling drug in history at the time.
• How late-night comedians, NASCAR sponsors, Bob Dole, and your grandpa all helped make Viagra a household name.
• The feminist backlash and insurance double standards (Viagra was covered, birth control often wasn’t), sparking what some called the “Viagra-Pill Wars.”
• Moral panic from religious groups, lawsuits from suddenly ignored girlfriends, and why some thought it would destroy monogamy as we know it.
• Why Viagra didn’t just raise the bar for men—it created an entire new industry, normalized ED treatment, and made older adults part of the national sex conversation.

But wait, there’s more:

• How Viagra helped bring sexual health out of the shadows.
• Why PDE5 inhibitors work (yup, we explain the blood flow science behind erections).
• And how, yes, ED meds can make sex safer—by helping condoms stay put and giving confidence where it counts.

Along the way, we laugh. A lot. Because how can you not? The puns practically write themselves.

This episode is about much more than a little blue pill—it’s about reframing desire, aging, and healthcare itself. Viagra was the spark that lit a fire under American medicine and media—and we’re here to walk you through the erection heard ‘round the world.

Perfect for:

• Anyone curious how Viagra became a cultural icon
• Lifestyle folks who’ve ever popped a pill before a party
• Anyone who’s wondered why ED meds are so popular—and why it’s okay if you take them too
• Health nerds, sex nerds, and people who appreciate a little history with their heat

Bonus segments:

• Shameless Care’s Dirty Joke of the Week (don’t worry—it’s semi-tasteful)
• “Foreplay”: Good news in sexual health, including the UK’s new gonorrhea vaccine rollout
• New product drops from Shameless Care: Oxytocin troches and combo Sildenafil + Tadalafil meds

So sit back, unbutton your brain, and tune in as we shamelessly explore one of the greatest accidents in medical history.

Hit play. Get aroused by history. Stay shameless.

Visit ShamelessCare.com to learn more, explore treatment options, and get your confidence back—without subscriptions or judgment.

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You’ve never voted for them. You’ve probably never even heard of them. But a small group of just 16 volunteer clinicians meets three times a year—and they decide what medical screenings your doctor recommends, and what your insurance will actually pay for. No big deal, right?

In this episode of the Shameless Care Podcast, Robert and Anna pull back the curtain on one of the most quietly powerful forces in American healthcare: The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Think of it as the Justice League of public health… if the Justice League had no capes, no budget, and way more paperwork.

You’ll learn:

• Why the USPSTF was created in 1984 (yes, the same year as Ghostbusters, Purple Rain, and, well… 1984).
• How their grades (A, B, C, D, and I) determine whether insurance companies must pay for a test.
• Why a “C” might cost you hundreds, but an “A” is totally free.
• How the Affordable Care Act gave them real power—without making them part of the government.
• Why some preventive care (like STI testing for straight men) gets ignored altogether.

We’ll also get into the wild world of STI screening recommendations—because nothing says “fun Friday night” like a chlamydia debate. Did you know that the USPSTF doesn’t recommend routine gonorrhea or chlamydia screening for men at all? Meanwhile, women under 25? Automatically screened, every year. Equal opportunity, this is not.

Anna breaks down the Task Force’s controversial guidance on herpes testing (spoiler: it’s a no), and Robert rants about why the phrase “full panel” STI test is dangerously misleading.

We’ll also cover:

• Why men skipping STI tests is bad science (and worse math).
• What “Grade I” means (spoiler: “I have no clue”).
• How healthcare is really different for proactive, sex-positive people.
• Why your “free” colonoscopy wasn’t just a gift from Blue Cross.

Oh—and don’t miss our Shameless Dirty Joke of the Week, some very good news from the NHS about a gonorrhea vaccine, and a quick look at how the USPSTF decides what’s worth testing… and what’s just noise.

This episode is for anyone who’s ever wondered why their insurance won’t pay for something, why their STI test missed half the infections, or how a tiny group of super-nerds became the most influential people in American preventive medicine.

We’re not here to fearmonger. We’re not here to sell you anything. We’re just here to give you the real talk on sexual health, without shame, without fluff—and with a few laughs along the way.

Welcome to the Shameless Care Podcast.

Let’s get into it.