Viagra: the hard sell

Filed under: Generic Viagra, Viagra — September 30, 2007 @ 4:16 am

The rise and rise of Viagra has created a 1.5bn worldwide market in anti-impotence pills.

Now rivals are fighting for a share of the spoils and it is becoming a recreational drug of choice for some in the party generation.

Last week, Pfizer's chief executive Henry McKinnell warned that Chinese made counterfeits posed a threat to its business and urged the country's authorities to clamp down on the copycats.

New research

Pfizer, the world's biggest pharmaceutical company, stumbled on the drug by accident at their research labs in Sandwich, Kent.

In the late 1980s, they had been developing a new treatment for angina, but noticed a strange side-effect in trials - increased erections among volunteers.

The effect on their sex lives was so marked that once the angina trails were over the volunteers wanted to keep on taking the medication.

Pfizer decided to commission some new research.

In 1989 they approached Clive Gingell, one of Britain's top Urological Surgeons, based in Bristol.

He had spent his whole career trying to treat and improve the lives of thousands of men suffering from impotence.

In those days, commonly used treatments included the fitting of implants directly into the penis, a vacuum pump and self injection.

Most sufferers were thoroughly put off and consigned themselves to a life without sex.

Viagra arrives

Mr Gingell ran a new series of trials, and the results impressed him.

Pfizer chief executive Henry McKinnell
Pfizer chief executive McKinnell says copycats pose a threat

He describes Viagra as "a wonder drug".

"The thought of having a pill that would cure impotence was amazing to me," he says.

"I never thought I would see it in my lifetime."

"There has been a kind of Holy Grail idea associated with curing impotence," Pfizer's Mariann Caprino tells the Money Programme.

"And here it was in a little blue pill."

Colossal market

When Viagra was launched in 1998, Pfizer's share price doubled. It was apparent that there was a huge previously untapped market out there.

Doctors claim that half of all men over 40 become impotent at some point in their lives.

That is more than 150 million worldwide, with two million sufferers in Britain alone, so the potential market for drugs like Viagra is colossal.

Overnight Viagra made Pfizer famous. "We discovered the mass production of penicillin, yet it was Viagra that put Pfizer on the map," says Ms Caprino.

Embarrassing subject

Nevertheless, despite the highly successful launch, the company faced a huge potential problem in selling Viagra.

Men were simply not willing to talk about impotence, they were ashamed.

If they were not prepared to discuss their impotence, how could they be persuaded to ask their doctor for a prescription?

Ray Reynolds, who suffered from impotence for 30 years, had simply given up hope of ever being able to have sex again.

"I thought well, I'll just put it to one side and remain a eunuch for the rest of my life," he says.

Celebrity endorsement

To overcome the problem, Pfizer came up with a series of marketing ploys.

Viagra-sponsored car
Pfizer sponsors NASCAR, America's top spectator sport

Firstly, they asked the Vatican, and other world religious leaders, for their blessing. This headed off possible moral and religious objections.

Secondly, they employed big name celebrities to encourage men to seek treatment for impotence.

Pele, the legendary footballer, headed a men's health campaign about erection problems, and 75 year old former US Presidential candidate Bob Dole went public for Pfizer about his own impotence problem.

American men rushed to their doctors.

Leon Steinberg, an 84-year-old impotence sufferer living in a retirement community in Florida, was impressed by Mr Dole's courage in coming forward.

"When I saw it on TV, I admired him for it," he says.

"You might say he was my idol."

Withdrawal of campaign

Pfizer decided not to use the term "impotence" in the advertisements, instead replacing it with a more bland technical term "erectile dysfunction".

Pfizer's Mike Suesserman says the new term "allowed us to make the condition a household name".

Pfizer reasoned that few men may admit to impotence, which employs a complete loss of ability, but a lot more may own up to erectile dysfunction, which suggests a much broader range of symptoms.

But Pfizer's aggressive marketing campaign has recently run into trouble.

A recent television advertisement has been criticized in the United States for suggesting that Viagra might be better and more effective for patients than the clinical experience suggests.

The Food and Drug Administration ordered its withdrawal.

Efficient sex

There are potential problems, too, in the increasing use of Viagra as a recreational drug.

Viagra medication
Half of all men over 40 become impotent at some point

"For a lot of gay people it is just a normal way of life," says Gary Mercado, who runs the Elysium Resort, the largest gay hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

When Viagra is taken with amphetamines, "you forget about having protective sex, so there are huge capabilities of transmitting all sorts of sexual diseases", he says.

Pfizer says that a very small percentage of people abuse Viagra, but accepts there is great potential in developing the market for sexual pharmaceuticals.

Meika Loe, author of the book The Rise of Viagra, agrees: "In the Viagra era, sexuality is subject to the cult of efficiency. It's become almost McDonald's-ised. Serve it up fast and hot."

The Money Programme: Viagra: The Hard Sell was broadcast at 2200 GMT on Wednesday, 9 February on BBC Two .

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News - My ISA misfortune

Filed under: Generic Viagra, Viagra — September 29, 2007 @ 5:18 am

Tim Levell set an unusual task for his money: invest the same amount in three different ISAs to see which performs the best.

Three years on, he is older - and wishes he had been a miser.

I’m not normally one to miss a good party.

And so it was in the spring of 2000, when all around newspaper headlines were screaming of the apparently inexorable rise of the stock market.

At the time, I found myself (unusually) in possession of a mild cash surplus, which I was looking to invest.

But where to put it? So many options, so many ISA adverts. One thing was sure, though: I didn’t want to miss out.

And so, out of my indecision, a cunning plan was born.

Investment choices

I would set aside 1,500 to invest. But rather than putting it all into one fund, I would split it up and put 500 into three different mini ISAs. The purchases were made a few days apart but either side of the tax deadline in order to get around ISA rules which tie investors to one equity ISA provider.



As everyone knows, the stock market hasn’t exactly performed like Peter Stringfellow on Viagra.

Having invested the money, I would set them going and see how they compared.

It was an agonising period as I looked through all the alternatives.

But eventually, these were the three I opted for:

  • A Legal and General UK index tracker

  • An Aberdeen Technology managed fund

  • A Smile cash ISA

A pretty balanced mix, I thought, as I smugly wrote the cheques.

And how have they done?

Let’s look at the Legal and General fund first.

Off track

I was quite happy with this one, as I felt it was probably the most sensible of my choices.

I had read the Motley Fool guide to finance, and knew that historically trackers perform as well as funds managed by individuals.

Being basically automated programs, they buy whatever is popular in the market, so if the index goes up, they go up, and if it goes down, they go down.



After three years of falling markets, private investors are beginning to give up on the market.


A City expert looks at future prospects for the stock market

You can’t really lose, because you do as well as everyone else is doing.

And because you aren’t helping pay those huge fund manager salaries, you get charged wafer-thin commission fees.

That was the good news.

But as everyone knows, the stock market hasn’t exactly performed like Peter Stringfellow on Viagra.

My tracker did just what it promised - tracking it all the way down.

My 500 is now worth 272.98.

Favourite flavour

Next to the investment that really got me excited: my Aberdeen Technology fund.

You don’t need to be Martha Lane-Fox, founder of Lastminute.com, to recall that technology stocks were truly flavour of the season.

One friend had recently banked a profit of about 15,000 from a 5,000 investment in various tech and media stocks, including the Money Channel, Autonomy and Baltimore.



I really did not want to go for this (cash) but my wife insisted we have something more ’sensible’ to cover our backs.

I vividly remember reading a newspaper article entitled something like: “Can this stock boom go on forever?”, with the unequivocal answer: YES.

I needed to be in with the in crowd!

Techno phobia

How diligently I studied the various tech stocks.

In the end, this armchair expert plumped for Aberdeen - but it wouldn’t have made much difference.

It started going down from the day I bought it.

To crown a dismal period, Aberdeen are now in the process of dumping their funds on another manager, New Star Asset Management.

Last time I looked, my 500 had imploded to a spectacular 76.55.

Of 1,000 invested, I’ve already lost 650.

Backs covered

And so to the last on my list: the Smile cash ISA.

I really did not want to go for this, but my wife insisted we have something more ’sensible’ to cover our backs.

It was paying 6% or so - the best cash rate around, but nothing like those adrenalin-fuelled graphs of upwardly soaring markets I drooled over every week in the Sunday Times.

But three years on, it has significantly outperformed the other two - the only one, in fact, actually to grow my money.

Or, at least it should have done.

Therein lies my own personal tragedy.

For various reasons (mostly to do with the overly complicated initiation procedures on the Smile website) I opened my cash ISA - but never actually transferred any money into it.



As the legendary investor Warren Buffet once put it: ‘When others are fearful, be greedy; when others are greedy, be fearful.’

Despite various chasing e-mails, I never quite got around to it.

And so my balance remains a neat and tidy 0.

If I had actually done the deed, my 500 would now be worth 587.27, according to those nice people with, um, a smile on their face.

Fearful greed

So what have I learnt?

Only what all the experts tell you most of the time anyway.

Don’t invest what you can’t afford to lose. (Treating it as a mildly interesting experiment certainly helped lessen my anxiety.)

Don’t despise cash - it’s surprisingly satisfying.

Don’t believe the hype. As the legendary investor Warren Buffet once put it: ‘When others are fearful, be greedy; when others are greedy, be fearful.’


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News - Patch ‘to boost female sex drive’

Filed under: Generic Viagra, Viagra — September 28, 2007 @ 5:09 am

A patch which it is claimed can help women regain their sex drive is set to become available on the NHS.


It is the first treatment for women with low sex drive, but maker Procter and Gamble said it was not promoted as the female equivalent of Viagra.


Intrinsa will only be available on prescription for women who have had an early menopause because of surgery.


Doctors said there was no quick fix for low sex drive, and medical treatment was just one part of the therapy.


There are a variety reasons for low sex drive, such as psychological reasons and the environment the person is in
Dr Jim Kennedy, of the Royal College of GPs


About a million women in the UK have had an early menopause because of surgery to remove their ovaries during hysterectomy for conditions such as heavy bleeding and pelvic pain, Procter and Gamble said.


This procedure leads to a decrease in testosterone, a naturally occurring hormone in women which is a key mediator of sexual desire.


A third of these women end up suffering from low sexual desire and will be entitled to the treatment on prescription.


Intrinsa is a clear patch worn on the abdomen, which delivers a low dose of testosterone.


Trials involving over 500 women who had had hysterectomies found the patch led to a 74% increase in satisfying sex.


It will be available on the NHS from the beginning of April.


Relationship


Dr Nick Panay, of the Daisy Network, a support group for women with premature menopause, said low sex drive in such women could cause a great deal of distress and concern about their relationship.


“Intrinsa offers real medical hope to these women as studies showed that the patch increases sexual desire and satisfying sexual activity while reducing associated distress.”


But GPs said one drug is incapable of addressing the “complex reasons” for low sex drive.


Dr Jim Kennedy, prescribing spokesman for the Royal College of GPs, said: “There are a variety reasons for low sex drive, such as psychological reasons and the environment the person is in, for example if there are children around.


“Doctors will be looking to address all these reasons, they will not just resort to a single medical treatment.”


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News - Thailand takes on drugs giants

Filed under: Generic Viagra, Viagra — September 27, 2007 @ 4:59 am


Six years ago I visited a clinic outside Bangkok, where a locally-made pill, called V1 Immunitor, was being distributed.


The claim that it could treat HIV/Aids was widely discredited, yet the queues went right around the block.


The people waiting patiently in the Bangkok heat came from all walks of life.


There were street vendors, civil-servants and respectable-looking middle-class women - evidence of the extraordinary reach of the HIV/Aids epidemic in Thailand.


Few were under any illusions that V1 Immunitor would help them, but then what did they have to lose?


None could afford the anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) available in Europe and the US.


To them, the HIV virus was a virtual death sentence.


Generic copies


Fast-forward six years, and nobody talks about V1 Immunitor any more.

Lab in Thailand

Thailand drugs move

Affordable ARVs are now available to tens of thousands of Thais - in fact many do not pay anything at all for them, as they are provided by the government’s universal healthcare scheme or by HIV/Aids organisations.


This is possible because of Thailand’s decision to make cheap, generic copies of ARVs at a fraction of the cost of the branded drugs.


It is something the big pharmaceutical companies resisted at first, but then went along with.


But they are strongly resisting Thailand’s latest move. Last November the new country’s health minister, Dr Mongkol na Songkhla, announced he would issue what is known as a compulsory licence to manufacture low-cost versions of the HIV drug Efavirenz.


Efavirenz - which is made by the pharmaceutical giant Merck MSD, and protected by a patent in Thailand - is an alternative treatment for patients who do not respond well to the locally made ARVs.


Three months later, Dr Mongkol announced that two more drugs would be targeted with compulsory licences - the second-line ARV Kaletra, which is manufactured by the US company Abbott and is important for HIV/Aids patients showing signs of resistance to first-line ARVs - and most controversially the heart drug Plavix, manufactured by the French company Sanofi-Aventis.


Suddenly Thailand, long seen as a loyal trading partner of the US, has seen its image transformed into that of a violator of intellectual property rights.


Its decision has been condemned by the pharmaceutical industry, but applauded by non-governmental organisations campaigning for wider access to affordable medicines.


Actually what Thailand has done is completely legal under international trade regulations.

Dr Mongkol

Our health system is in danger of going bankrupt, and one of the biggest expenses we face is the cost of drugs
Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla

The landmark 1995 World Trade Organisation agreement on intellectual property, Trips, gives governments a large amount of freedom to bypass patents on drugs if they face any kind of health crisis.


The language of the agreement is vague. It recommends that governments consult the drug companies first, and requires them to pay a small royalty. But crucially, the government itself can decide what constitutes a health crisis.


The drug companies have always assumed that the Trips exception would only be used for a dire emergency, like HIV/Aids or avian flu.


Issuing a compulsory licence for a heart drug, they say, breaks the spirit of the agreement.


Abbott has now withdrawn all its future products from the Thai market - including a new heat-resistant form of Kaletra which is desperately needed by HIV patients.


Healthcare for all


Dr Mongkol is quite open about his motives for challenging the patents on these three drugs.


“Our health system is in danger of going bankrupt,” he said, “and one of the biggest expenses we face is the cost of drugs.”


A developing country now approaching middle-income status, Thailand has very high levels of heart disease.


At Bangkok’s main chest hospital, doctors say they spend almost 20% of their entire budget on Plavix, which is why it was one of the drugs targeted.


But should a developing country be allowed to fund its public health service by breaking the patents of drugs developed by multi-national pharmaceutical companies?


Thailand is one of the first countries at its income level to introduce such a service.


Richer countries like Britain have difficulty funding their health systems; Thailand, with a much lower government budget, inevitably finds it harder still.


The nationwide health scheme was first introduced in 2001 by then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who had a gift for coming up with populist policies that would keep getting him elected.


When he was over-thrown by a military coup last September, the new government, needing to shore up its own legitimacy, went even further and eliminated the nominal charge for treatment.

Anti-HIV/Aids drug Kaletra

Kaletra is a widely-used anti-retroviral drug

It was encouraged in this by Dr Mongkol, who suddenly found himself promoted to becoming a minister after 40 years fighting for better health care as a career civil servant in the Ministry of Health.


Supporters of the compulsory licences, like Paul Cawthorne from Medicins Sans Frontiers, believe Thailand’s bold step is the right one.


He argues that the big pharmaceutical companies make plenty of money from less essential drugs, like Viagra, and that they spend a lot more on advertising their products than they do on research and development.


Much of the research in the US is, in any case, done by government-funded universities, he says.


He is calling for a radical shake-up in the pricing of a whole range of essential drugs, to make them affordable in every country - and he believes Thailand has set an example other governments should follow.


Opponents argue that governments cannot feel free to break the patents on any drugs they choose, just to fund cheap healthcare for their citizens.


That, they say, destroys the incentive to develop new drugs.


Backing down?


But the situation varies enormously from country to country.


Until recently India, for example, did not recognise the patents of multinational drug companies, and has built up a huge industry making cheap generic drugs without incurring the wrath of the industry.


Because Thailand went along with patent protection many years ago, it is being criticised for following India’s example.


Indeed, some of the cheap drugs Thailand now wants to give its patients are actually imported from India.


Tellingly the US, normally a vocal defender of intellectual property rights, has not criticised Thailand’s decision, nor has the World Health Organization.


The drug companies are also showing signs of flexibility, offering significant price cuts to Thailand.


Even Abbott, which has taken the most hardline stand, is under great pressure to reverse its decision to pull future products from the Thai market.


Whatever the rights and wrongs of Thailand’s drugs pricing policy, it looks as though Dr Mongkol is starting to win his battle for affordable healthcare.


Originaly from

News - GE knocks Exxon off top share spot

Filed under: Generic Viagra, Viagra — September 26, 2007 @ 4:51 am

But the world’s biggest drug company, most famous for erectile-dysfunction pill Viagra, faces an uncertain outlook.


A Chinese court is hearing an appeal by Pfizer against the withdrawal of the Chinese patent for Viagra. The authorities quashed the patent saying it didn’t show conclusively that it worked. Pfizer says the authorities simply didn’t understand the research.


If the decision goes against Pfizer, it’s thought it could curb foreign investment in the country from companies frightened of losing patent protection for their businesses.


Ringing around


Hutchison Whampoa, the Hong Kong based trading conglomerate controlled by tycoon Li Ka-shing, has had a tough few months as it has poured more and more resources into developing 3G mobile phone services in a range of countries.


On Thursday it reported a 38% rise in overall 2004 profit, double-digit growth in its ports and retailing operations, but losses at its 3G telecoms arm.


The company is hoping to list its mobile network in Italy this year and may list its UK 3G unit in 2006. Even so the shares are up a mere one- fifth of a percent on the past two weeks.


In Japan, meanwhile, the mobile business of NTT DoCoMo has fallen out of favour with investors over the past two weeks, with shares down 5.4%.


Even though it is the biggest mobile company in the country, it trails rival KDDI in sales of 3G units.


Ups and downs


The Japanese electronics company Canon has somewhat unnerved investors by announcing that it is moving into biotechnology.


It claims to be developing systems for the mass production of DNA chips using the bubble jet technology it uses in its printers, which it thinks will help diagnose cancer and infectious diseases.


Canon’s shares are up a modest 1.4% on the fortnight, as the company changed its charter to incorporate the “production and sales of pharmaceutical products”. The company says it has not yet decided on any specific plan on when and how to commercialise biotechnology products.


In the US the telecoms giant Verizon upped its offer for MCI to $7.6bn on Tuesday and had it accepted.


The market is not totally convinced the Verizon deal is a good one and even though its shares are up 2.8% on the fortnight, at $35.50, they are a good $5 below where they were at the start of the year.


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News - Online firms breach drugs laws

Filed under: Generic Viagra, Viagra — September 25, 2007 @ 5:11 am

Powerful prescription drugs are available online to anyone with a credit card, an investigation by Scottish trading standards officers has found.

The report claims that many websites are breaking the law when it comes to selling over the internet.

The easy availability of drugs is said to pose a real health threat.

The investigation was led by Dundee Trading Standards officers who set up a false identity with a credit card account and trawled the internet.

They said that slimming pills, anti-depressants and drugs claiming to prevent hair loss were easily available.

Protect consumers

However, websites selling Viagra were the most common.

The trading standards officers bought a number of batches from various companies.

They said that in most cases the websites did not comply with rules designed to protect consumers.

The officers also alleged a number of breaches in drugs legislation.



We share the concerns that there are prescription medicines being made available without the proper and full consultation with the appropriate health care professional


Jim Eadie
ABPI

Ken Daly, of Dundee Trading Standards, said most of the companies it approached to buy Viagra asked people to fill in a questionnaire, while some referred customers to a doctor.

“Essentially you can get this stuff quite easily, it is quite readily available,” he said.

Drug manufacturers say that they have very little control over where and how their products are sold.

Responsibility for regulating websites rests with the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority.

Jim Eadie, the director of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said: “We share the concerns that there are prescription medicines being made available without the proper and full consultation with the appropriate health care professional.”


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News - Your comments

Filed under: Generic Viagra, Viagra — September 24, 2007 @ 5:03 am

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We get we cannot guarantee to publish every single message we receive, however the e-mails published will

reflect the balance of opinion. We may also edit some e-mails for legal reasons and for purposes of clarity and length.

The views expressed on these pages are not necessarily the views of the BBC.

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News - Sex spam clogs summer inboxes

Filed under: Generic Viagra, Viagra — September 23, 2007 @ 4:56 am


The temperature is rising in inboxes as spammers attempt to promote a summer of ‘love’.

Pornographic spam has risen by almost 350% since June according to e-mail filter firm Clearswift.

In a possible attempt to keep up with demand, the number of junk e-mails offering Viagra has also risen significantly.

“It is baffling why there is such a huge uprise,” said technical director of Clearswift Alyn Hockey.

Randomness of spam

One of the reasons for the upsurge in porn e-mails could be down to the fact that the months preceding June were unusually quiet in terms of spam.

“The spammers could have been spending time developing their messages and ramping up,” said Mr Hockey.

Spammers appear to be purposefully increasing pornographic output during the summer months.

Last summer, there was also a peak for porn in the month of June, and January of this year also saw an increase.

“The trend seems to be for it to peak every six months but as to why, this just seems to be down to the randomness that is spam,” said Mr Hockey.

Targeting users

Viagra pills

Viagra manufacturer Pfizer is taking legal action against spammers

The amount of counterfeit Viagra being offered by spammers has prompted manufacturer Pfizer to launch a legal campaign against them.

Its own research found that a quarter of men believed that the pharmaceutical giant was responsible for sending Viagra spam.

More carefully targeted advertising is becoming a trend in the spam industry, which also tends to advertise products such as games in the lead up to Christmas.

Diets take centre stage in inboxes after the Christmas binge.

“Spammers do seem to know the time of year to target certain products,” said Mr Hockey.

According to Clearswift’s yearly review, despite its summer peak, porn spam is on the decline overall.

It accounts for around 5% of spam, compared to financial and healthcare spam which accounts for 39% and 31% respectively.


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News - Viagra use ‘may damage fertility’

Filed under: Generic Viagra, Viagra — September 22, 2007 @ 4:44 am


Men who take Viagra when they are hoping to start a family could be affecting their fertility.

The finding, by Queen’s University, Belfast, also casts doubt on the use of the anti-impotence drug by IVF clinics.

The researchers will tell a British Fertility Society meeting that the drug does enhance sperm movement.

However, it also seems to undermine the timing of a chemical process needed to fertilise the egg.



The message we want to get across is that caution should be taken
when using recreational drugs if you are hoping to start a family


Dr Sheena Lewis

This process, known as the acrosome reaction, releases digestive enzymes that break down the egg’s protective outer layer, allowing the sperm to penetrate more easily.

Viagra seems to speed up the acrosome reaction, so that by the time the sperm reaches the egg it has no digestive enzymes left to penetrate the outer layer. Sperm that have undergone this process are known as fully “reacted”.

The researchers tested 45 samples of semen. They found that up to 79% more sperm were fully “reacted” in samples treated with Viagra.

The findings echo previous work on mice showing that in the presence of Viagra significantly fewer eggs are fertilised - and fewer of the resulting embryos continue to develop.

Recreational use

Researcher Dr Sheena Lewis said the acrosome reaction involved the channelling of charged calcium atoms, or ions.



It would be a terrible shame if an unnecessarily alarmist headline put people off using a treatment which may actually help them


Dr John Dean

This was known to influence numerous cellular mechanisms - and could effect early embryonic development.

Dr Lewis said: “When Viagra came out in 1998 it was aimed at men with impotence problems, primarily older men not interested in having children. Now it has become a very popular drug for sexual enhancement.

“The message we want to get across is that caution should be taken when using recreational drugs if you are hoping to start a family.”

Dr David Glenn, who also worked on the study, said: “Nearly half of licensed fertility units in the UK currently use Viagra to assist patient semen production.

“Our study raises questions about the drug’s use in assisted reproduction.”

Sheena Young, from the support group Infertility Network UK, said it was important that people who used Viagra recreationally were fully aware of its full effect.

“When Viagra was introduced it was never meant for this purpose.”

Caution urged

However, Dr John Dean, secretary general of the European Society for Sexual Medicine, told BBC News Online that it was difficult to draw firm conclusions from the study.

He said lab results often did not reflect what happened in the human body, and sperm was known to be highly sensitive when removed from its natural environment.

“Childless couples - and the general population - should be aware that in the five years that Viagra has been around no overall detrimental effect on fertility has been observed,” he said.

“It would be a terrible shame if an unnecessarily alarmist headline put people off using a treatment which may actually help them.”


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News - Same-sex couples embrace equality

Filed under: Cialis — September 21, 2007 @ 5:24 am

A new law allowing same-sex couples to enter civil partnerships has come into force in Scotland.


Gay and lesbian couples now have the same legal rights as married couples and can register for ceremonies to be held in 15 days’ time.


The Civil Partnership Act ensures equality on matters including pension provision and inheritance.


Socialists and Greens welcomed “gay weddings” but the Catholic Church in Scotland underlined its opposition.


So far, an estimated 140 couples have registered their interest in a civil ceremony in Scotland.


John Stewart and his partner Neil Fletcher have campaigned for years for the radical legal and social reform.


Mr Stewart said: “I think it’s very much that our relationships are of equal value with heterosexual relationships and that the state recognises the value of a relationship.


“I think that’s a very important message.”


Same-sex couples in Scotland have been waiting for decades for this legislation
Patrick Harvie
Scottish Green MSP


Under the new rules, same-sex couples can register their partnership with the council and claim the same rights as a married couple.


Scottish Green MSP, Patrick Harvie, welcomed the change in the law but added that the fight to end bigotry against gay, lesbian and transgender people would continue.


He said: “Same-sex couples in Scotland have been waiting for decades for this legislation.


“At last our society will celebrate and recognise relationships on equal terms, proudly asserting that love is love, commitment is commitment, and family is family.


‘Phased transition’


“Much has been achieved for social justice and for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people’s rights. But the social conservatism which is still present in society won’t go away.”


Scottish Socialist Party leader, Colin Fox, said he hoped gay and lesbian couples would not lose out under the law change.


He said: “The recognition of same-sex couples will have wide-reaching implications and while most of them are welcome, we support a phased transition of the new rules for benefit claimants in same-sex relationships.


“It would avoid the sudden loss of benefits and recognise the problems that exist for some couples in being ‘out’.”


We are indulging in an experiment which will always have huge social consequences
Cardinal Keith O’Brien


But Scotland’s most senior Roman Catholic, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, said: “The Scottish people must be aware that by the end of the year we will see the reality of marriage changed to the point that it is unrecognizable.


“We are indulging in an experiment which will always have huge social consequences.


“The Catholic Church teaches clearly that we, as individuals and a society, harm ourselves when we do not protect and promote the female-male lifelong relationship that we know as marriage.”


What are your views on the new measures? Are you for or against the change? Perhaps you are in a same-sex relationship and plan to take advantage of the new law. We asked for your views.




The following represents the balance of opinions received.


I know Neil and John (in the article above) and how long they have been together, and I’m delighted that they now have the opportunity to have their relationship recognised in a similar way to me and my wife. Good luck to you both!
Keith Legg, Dalgety Bay, Fife


I feel a great sense of joy whussing through my veins. I am so glad that I can finally walk down the street hand in hand with my beloved without getting stared at like some sort of freak. Three times in the past month my windows have been smashed and I have had threatening letters sent to me through the post. What’s wrong with being gay? I love him….
John B, Newton Stewart

Welcome though civil partnership is, it is not equality. Mixed sex couples have the choice of creating their legal status as a couple as a manifestation of their faith by having it conducted by a minister of religion. Similarly, they can choose not to if they have no faith. Same sex couples are denied this choice. For some same sex couples their faith is important to them and it is unjust and contrary to the European Convention for this opportunity to be excluded on the grounds of gender alone.
Stephen Harte, Edinburgh, Scotland


As a Scot now living abroad in a country wrongly seen as a sleaze country, even here they have the morals of a civilized place. Some comments are saying we are coming out of the dark ages. Correction, the UK is going head first back to the dark ages and quickly. I shudder to think what signal this sends to children, God help us.
Bob Young, Phattaya, Thailand


Sorry Darren Bradshaw, the UK is not the first, we were beaten to civil partnerships by the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, and Vermont. And the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, and South Africa are ahead of us in allowing full same-sex marriage. Civil partnerships are not equality, they are at best equivalence.
Anna Langley, Cambridge


As a gay woman in a very long term relationship, 28 years and counting, I feel touched by so much support - thank you! I’m not surprised by the few negative comments, it’s only to be expected. I don’t feel “immoral”, “sick” or in need of “moral guidance”. I feel strong, proud and am looking forward to our ceremony in March. Our close family and friends will be there to celebrate with us, they know we’re not freaks and just want us to be safe, secure and happy!
Elaine, West Yorkshire


I have no problem with the new legislation. However, having lived in a heterosexual relationship for 20 years my general feeling is that same sex couples have more rights than myself and my partner. In my pension scheme if I died tomorrow my partner would not receive anything for me. Surely this cannot be right.
Andrew Harvie, Wishaw, Scotland


Scotland, you do us proud. I am a Kiwi but I am thankful for my Shetland grandmother, who taught all her grandchildren from an early age to value difference and equality. These values made it safe for me to be a valued person in my family and be gay. They also help shape the makings of a great society.
Doug, Tuscany, Italy


This law gives people who previously didn’t have a choice, the chance to commit and better sustain a relationship. Gay couples being provided the same rights and opportunities as heterosexuals can surely only be a good thing. For too long the notion of promiscuousness has clouded the view of such relationships, now it’s our turn to show the world serious commitment and love can exist between same sex couples. To those people who disagree with these changes due to homophobia, well all I can say is that your ignorance is a mixed blessing, one day you may come to terms with the reality you live in. As for religious intolerance, well first of all I have to agree that the term “Marriage” not be used in social ceremony context. People’s religious beliefs should be respected, however, I think those individuals speaking out against homosexuals should ask themselves if they really have the right to cast judgement on others. Someone who sees themself as a true patron to God would not go against some of the most fundamental principles regarding bigotry and prejudice.
Ross, Bournemouth


Why is it wrong to disagree with anyone these days? I am a Christian who believes the Bible when it says that same sex relationships are wrong. However, I am not bigoted and have had gay friends even though I disagree with their lifestyle. It is possible to disagree and not be bigoted or hateful.
Steve, Edinburgh


I think this is a huge step forward for the gay community. As a gay man myself I am of the belief that civil partnerships should be offered to all irrespective of sexuality, so opposite sex couples should be able to benefit. At the same time I also believe gay couples should be legally allowed to marry in church. That is a fair society. But it’s a step in the right direction over time I am sure everything will work out slowly.
John McGough, Manchester, UK


If you love someone, and you want to be with them, then what does it matter? This new law is wonderful in that at least now in the eyes of the law such partnerships can be recognised. Let’s just hope all those poor people out there who find it so ‘wrong’ can also find someone they love enough to want to be with forever.
Claire, Oxford


Inheritance laws between spouses are largely a recognition of the expense of rearing children. I have no objection to gays and lesbians being offered recognition in law of their relationships, but we must not forget that marriage has only recently become a romantic notion. It used to be exclusively for the purpose of procreation, not the cementing of the very modern idea of a transcendent romantic ideal. Marriages driven by romance, whether between homosexuals or heterosexuals, are a radical departure from what marriage was originally about. Romance is a really very recent concept in human history. Recent, not invalid, of course. I agree that it is quite abhorrent that property rights are an issue if one partner in a homosexual marriage dies but we should think very carefully about what message an absolute equality of status send to children about the their own parents’ marriage.
Matt, London


Although I am straight, I have a LOT of sympathy and respect for gay couples. This new law is long overdue and I wish the gay community all the very best for the future.
Carole Young, Glasgow


I am not a bigot and have nothing against gay people, however this is equality going too far - what is wrong with traditional marriage being put on a pedestal and being given higher recognition over other domestic arrangements. Marriage (despite all its problems) is there to provide a stable background for youngsters and this is just a further dilution of its status in society.
Chris, Scotland


Joanne Fox writes: “I think that this is totally sick. First, they want to adopt kids and now they want to get married.” Thanks, Joanne: this made me laugh out loud, and has made my day! What exactly is sick about this? Wanting to share financial and social responsibility with your partner? Wanting the comfort of knowing that you won’t be booted out of your house when inheritance tax means you have to sell it when your partner dies? Or wanting to ensure that your partner is recognized as your next of kin if you should end up in hospital and unable to make decisions for yourself? I’m glad to see that views like Joanne’s are being ignored when it comes to making legislation these days!
Dave Donaghy, Bath


What about two brothers who live together all their life? Or two sisters? What about flatmates? Are they to be allowed to ‘marry’ as well. At what point do we stop? You may laugh at this idea, but are two friends who love each other very much and may have lived together for 30 years but do not have sexual relations any different from homosexuals? I think that if you let homosexuals ‘marry’ in a civil service, then everyone should be allowed to do so, no matter the relationship. I just worry now this legislation has been passed, where does society go next?
Craig Scoular, Glasgow


If people wish to commit to each other it should not matter what sex they are. We should all be equal in the eyes of the law.
Sacha, Glasgow


Please, please do not equate these “relationships” to marriage. To promote these immoral, unnatural and unhealthy unions is extremely irresponsible and dangerous.
R Scott, Aberdeen


Finally the government’s having the maturity to treat us as real human beings who are fully aware of the significance of what we do. As to those who say it’s not natural, there are proven instances of homosexual relationships throughout history - including in the animal kingdom. So if it isn’t natural why does it keep happening? Hopefully this kind of blind egotistical view can now be put behind us.
Tom, Oxford


May I address any comments that are not in favour for this historic change. As a gay man in a serious relationship for the past six years, with full support from both sides of the family, I think this is great news. The creation of the civil ceremony is only to redress the legal inequalities that the gay community have endured for years. It is not uncommon to hear of gay couples that have been together for years to pay 40% inheritance tax when their partner dies making the other effectively homeless. The “civil ceremony” is not a religious affair but is a point of law. This in turn affords an opportunity for committed couples to celebrate their love for each other and to their family and friends. Being gay is not a “conscious choice” or a “life style”, as much as heterosexual people do not chose to be “straight”.
Gareth, Manchester


As a man in my early 30’s in a long-term relationship it is an exciting time. I remember my teenage years when, along with all of the other problems I was facing admitting I was gay, the fact that I would never be in a recognised relationship loomed large on the horizon. People will still sneer at it, you only have to look at a couple of the comments on this page, but over time this will become the norm. I am not religious and can’t for the life of me imagine why anybody who has been systematically ostracised by a religion would want a church ceremony. Lets face it… it’s going to be called marriage from the start so who the hell cares?
Glenn Masterton, Edinburgh


This is great news and it is heartwarming to see so many long-term partnerships finally being able to make this commitment to each other. Hopefully it will also do something to reduce the amount of people believing the unfortunate notion that all homosexual people are promiscuous and only capable of having casual relationships.
Hannah, Bournemouth


Is there a real difference between ‘marriage’ and ‘civil partnership’ (in essence)? If there is a difference, then it is not equality yet. If there isn’t a difference, then I think the homosexual community is going after the wrong target. Because after all, ‘marriage’ is going to be a thing of the past, and ‘civil partnership’ will soon be, too. I like Donna’s idea of civil partnership for co-habiting heterosexuals though.
Yam, Edinburgh




We have been campaigning for this kind of equality for years! It’s about time that people in gay relationships were given the recognition they deserve! It’s a great step forward for civil liberties, and it’s a slap in the face for the right-wing bigots!
James Mills, Westminster


What’s worse? The hatred behind statements like ‘moral degeneration’ and ’sick’ or a loving couple who are of the same sex being able to publicly demonstrate their love and commitment to each other and family. I know which I’d rather my children saw more of… my only worry is it’s going to cost me a fortune in new hats!
Kate, London


This is a tremendous move. As sensible as it is progressive, and I say this as a heterosexual young male. Naturally, organised religion will decry this as “immoral”. Of course, organised religion also thought women’s suffrage was immoral and they also thought that giving the black community equal rights would lead to moral disintegration. In every socially progressive move that humanity has ever undertaken, organised religion has stood opposed to it. Perhaps now, it is the time for them to stand on the right side of history. Simon.
Simon Johnson, United Kingdom


To Joanne of Glasgow, I ask you…why not? Open your mind just a little bit and move with the times.
J.Smith, Glasgow


Becha, I think your homophobia is a dangerous example to set to my children. Your belief that people should not be free to live their lives as they wish is not an opinion that I enjoy seeing expressed in their presence. Same sex couples don’t wish to affect you directly, yet you seem to be happy to tell them what they should do. I am neither gay nor currently interested in marriage. I do feel that my decision not to get married should be one that everyone is free to make. I believe that even Becha should have the same rights as all of us and I feel that any restriction on freedom must be based upon causing actual harm to others. Setting a bad example doesn’t cut it as ‘causing harm’, I’m afraid.
Curry, Edinburgh/Glasgow




Reading some of the straight people’s comments on this just leaves me in despair at their ignorance and their arrogance is breathtaking. When will they realise that by giving these rights to gay people that it is just and right?
Alex Macadam, Inverness




It is encouraging that gay people are being put on the same footing as everyone else. A little bit more tolerance of others is still required in our society but this is a step in the right direction.
BMK, Dumfries




My partner and I plan a civil a partnership next May and think that this legislation was long overdue. Religious conservatives should realise that this law was never going to force church weddings and should not portray legal recognition of gay couples’ rights as the end of the world. Theirs is not the only way, and there are religions that do accept homosexuality as a normal, and welcome, part of life.
Chris Quinn, Cumbernauld




I think it is time for religious people and churches alike to shut up and stop the ongoing bigotry against gay people, firstly because churches themselves have long been a cradle for all sorts of sex and secondly because, in speaking against gay people, churches are actually speaking against God’s creation (assuming there is a God obviously). As for the news about the Archbishop of Cardiff, I don’t thing he can speak with authority about relationships. Being a Roman Catholic he’s celibate, so his knowledge about love, sex and relationships is nil.
Luis Guerreiro, Scotland




A positive step in the eternal fight for equality and acceptance that gay people have to go through their entire lives. This is the 21st century and two loving individuals should be able to announce their love to the world.
Nick Ward, Dundee




As a gay Scot who left Scotland in 1976 for the Netherlands it is a joy to see that Scotland at last has joined most of the rest of Europe in giving full rights to gay couples. At the same time while reading the comments of other ’straight’ Brits I shudder at the amount of bigotry and underlying hate for gay people that still exists. There is still a long hard road to travel.
John Adamson, Hoofddorp


I think this is fantastic news. I do not think it is second class to marriage as marriage is a much more religious thing. Civil partnership allows same sex couples the rights they deserve. It’s about time there was acceptance - not simply tolerance.
Linda, East Kilbride


About time too! In modern times who are we to say who can and can’t have the right to a formal partnership?
Stacey Crawford, Aberdeen


I think this is fantastic news! It opens many doors for the gay community. To Y. Becha and J Fox, where is it your place to tell people when things are wrong and immoral? Even if you like it or not, homosexuality exists and it is something that young children growing up will realise. With regards to adoption, why shouldn’t a loving family be allowed to offer a home to children? Everyone is capable of loving,
Mark, Glasgow




An excellent step forward for equal rights, its been a long road and a hard fight. Hopefully now that there is a recognised law in place an understanding can begin that we are no different from any other member of society living a productive life.
E. Ferguson, Belfast




It’s fantastic news. We are lucky to live in the age now where society is more tolerant. Previous generations have fought for what is equal and we are able to reap the benefits of their hard work. The only people I’ve heard of that are against the new laws are people who haven’t seen what a positive difference it makes to so many people. If they personally knew someone in this situation 90% of them would change their minds. I know my friends have and I can’t wait to have my ceremony next year. It’s just a pity Guernsey are so far behind that they haven’t heard of the law and I have to go to England to do it!
Liz Kerr, Guernsey




Hopefully, we have travelled about as far as we can down the road of moral degeneration. How much further can we go? Or will the government next be subsidising homosexual ‘marriages’?
Stefan, Reading


The legislation is a great step forward. Some of the negative comments posted show the distance still to be travelled before Scotland can haul itself from the Dark Ages however - remember ‘Keep the Clause’ etc.
Gavin Smith, Edinburgh


Can we have the same “Civil Partnership” for heterosexual couples who “co-habit” too, i.e pensions etc? Marriage is outdated now, something you do to keep your parents happy. Do heterosexual couples have no “human rights” just because they don’t want to get married? Just wonder.
Donna, Aberdeen


The new law truly signifies the fact that we are heading towards a brighter future where we all can break the barrier and live peacefully. But as I am in the Armed Forces, having a same-sex relationship(s) still seems as a “disease”, and an “untouchable” subject for any matter. There is still a very long way to go in all the three services to see this law to become more “neutral”. I have been with my partner for a long time whilst being in the armed forces, and know the fact that should I wish to be “married” to him it will only create a lot of harassment and bullying as I have, in the past, received such unequal treatment. I guess, the attitude of the armed forces needs to change but who know how long that will take. I wish to express my sincere gratitude for those behind this law of same-sex marriage. Well done and all the best for the near future!
Maievon, Colchester


What an exciting announcement! I am glad to finally see these kinds of changes occurring.
B. Blocki, Chicago


As a gay man in a serious relationship, this means the world to me. Having the opportunity to formalise a relationship (like any other “straight” couple) is a choice that’s been denied for too long. Thanks everyone for the great support that this new law has been given.
Anon, Glasgow


I think it is immoral and is sending the wrong message to a younger generation that is badly in need of spiritual guidance. It is not a natural relationship and should not be seen as such.
Y. Becha, Dartford


About time too. I think most of the problem this law has encountered stems for the use of the term “marriage”. Marriage is a religious sacrament and should be considered as such. The Germans have for a long time separated out the civil and religious aspects of marriage. This would be a sensible route to take here too. All couples undertake the same “civil partnership” that defines their legal and civil rights/responsibilities, etc. The couple can add whatever religious aspects congruent with their beliefs as appropriate.
Donald Stewart, Edinburgh


I think that this is totally sick. First, they want to adopt kids and now they want to get married.
Joanne Fox, Glasgow


How sad that the BBC is now under the impression that second-class marriage is “equality”. Hopefully in short order we’ll look back on this and wonder how we could have been so cowardly and bigoted.
Pooka, Edinburgh


I fully support the new civil partnership law. It’s not marriage - it’s a civil partnership! It’s modern and legal. It’s a massive step forward for equality and human rights. The UK is first again. Thank you Mr Blair !
Darren Bradshaw, Oldham


Fantastic news
M. McCormack, Scotland


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