Since it became available back in 1998, Viagra has helped to save the sex lives of millions of men suffering from erectile dysfunction.

And while we all know guys take Viagra to get an erection, you might not know what the drug really does to your tackle or how long the effects can last.

A recent study by Superdrug looked into the effects of sildenafil – which is the medical term for the erectile dysfunction drug – to see how men reacted in the first 24 hours after taking it.

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Here’s what happens:

First 12 minutes

Viagra is quickly absorbed by the body and some men with erectile dysfunction can get an erection just 12 minutes after gobbling the meds.

27 minutes

If it hasn’t happened for you in the first 12, then you’re probably going to get hard within the first half an hour.

Researchers found that the average response time to Viagra was just 27 minutes – even though doctors say you should wait an hour before seeing results downstairs.

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57 minutes

After nearly an hour has passed, you’ll reach your “maximum erection potential” because the drug reaches its highest concentration in the blood. This is why experts say you should pop it one hour before sex.

According to the study, men can have erections that last up to 33 minutes within an hour of taking the drug.

4 hours

Viagra has a half-life of about four hours, which means that every four hours after taking it, the drug reduces by 50%. But it’s still possible to have sex.

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10 hours

Scientists found that after 10 hours men could still get a strong erection. In fact, it was just as easy as when they got one 2 hours after dosing up.

12 hours

Many lads can still get it up, but it won’t last as long. The average time that an erection lasts for is 16 minutes.

24 hours

After one day the effects of sildenafil will have worn off. Almost all traces of the drug disappear from the blood stream, along with any boost to sexual performance.

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But how does Viagra actually work?

When you swallow it in pill form, the cGMP component dilates the blood vessels and allows blood to flow more easily.

While this is happening, the drug stops the function of an enzyme in the penis called PDE5, which reduces blood flow.

So it allows blood to flow more freely into the penis, making it easier for men to achieve an erection.