A group of urologists on Tuesday warned against the use of unauthorized erectile dysfunction treatment pills among men, claiming they could be critical to health.

The Korean Society for Sexual Medicine and Andrology held a press conference Tuesday in downtown Seoul and said fake ED drugs can cause heart acceleration, headache, hot flashes, bad visibility and other symptoms. In the worst case, constant erection or arrhythmia could prevail, threatening lives, they said.

Counterfeit drugs, which are sold at black markets targeting people who seek cheaper and non-prescriptive drugs, are known to contain harmful substances such as quicksilver and lead; contain no effective substance to treat ED; or contain too much of the effective substances.

“Counterfeits are difficult to distinguish because their colors and shapes are similar to the original drugs. Therefore, it is even harder to trace the origin of those drugs. But we believe many of them are produced in unhygienic and poor environments,” said Sohn Hwan-cheol, official with the society.

He said about 71.5 percent of those who take the drugs are not aware of the possible side effects of counterfeits. The doctors have launched a website, www.nofake.or.kr to promote the distinction between authentic and counterfeit ED drugs.

(baejisook@heraldcorp.com)