Medicare’s new prescription drug program will now cover sexual performance drugs such as Viagra and Levitra. The new law makes it so any drug that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration and is medically necessary will be included in Medicare’s coverage.

More than 15 million men have tried Viagra, and the prescription isn’t always medically necessary. Because of this, common prescriptions to treat male erectile dysfunction such as Viagra and other sexual performance drugs will be prescribed under tighter control this year.

Conservatives are against the inclusion of sexual performance drugs in Medicare, though the drugs are most often covered by private health insurance plans. The argument is that sexual dysfunction doesn’t physically harm anyone. But sexual dysfunction can, and does, decrease quality of life.

Sexual performance drugs help many couples. Sex is a very important part of adult life and adds to the mental well-being of individuals. Medicare has unquestionably covered other quality-of-life drugs in the past, such as drugs for depression and other mental illnesses.

The real reason people criticize the proposal is because it involves “sex.” People associate Viagra with promiscuous sex. Approximately 40 percent of men using Viagra are more than 60 years old. While promiscuity knows no age limits, this age group often tend to be married or in committed relationships.

Either way, sexual dysfunction lowers quality of life formany. Sexual performance drugs being accepted by Medicare might cause more people who experience sexual dysfunction to take an active role in helping themselves. The more accepted sexual performance drugs become, the higher the quality of life our society will have. Sex generally makes people happy, and frankly, we’ll take all the happy people we can get. The happier we are, the closer we’ll be to world peace, right? Well, that’s stretch, but it’s Friday.