On a couch that’s way too small, Pierce is stretched out on his back, muscles tensed as he supports himself and the weight of his co-star as she bobs up and down.

Shortly before discussing how men in the industry meet the rigorous demands of their work, adult actor Derrick Pierce was performing in just such a scene. And though these men may perform like machines, they have a secret weapon: erectile-dysfunction drugs. Whether you’re shivering outside at 2 a.m., so cold your low-hanging marbles just became Snuggies, or sweating so profusely you need water breaks every 15 minutes just to keep from passing out because it’s mid-summer and the studio you’re filming in has no air conditioning, as a male performer none of that matters. In porn it’s the norm.Ī guy who has sex on camera for a living cannot hide when he’s having a bad day. Directors insist on it, producers expect it, and their scene partners count on it-but how do male performers feel about the pressure to take drugs? Most industries discourage performance-enhancing pharmaceuticals some regulators even call it cheating.