LONDON (Reuters) -The maker of a new drug for erectile dysfunction said on Wednesday it was backing a controversial photographic exhibition to ensure users are not seen as "dirty old men."

Ely Lilly, which markets Cialis, said research in the UK showed "the far-reaching implications of society's ageism when it comes to sex."

One-in-seven men over 50 feared they might be perceived as dirty old men when requesting treatment for erection problems, while nearly a quarter of men and women over 50 believed younger generations do not approve of them having sex.

The findings showed that 40 percent of 15 to 24-year-olds were uncomfortable or did not want to think about older people having sex and three percent were repulsed by the idea.

To combat the prejudice, the company said it was sponsoring "2gether 4ever: 24 sexual moments," an exhibition of 24 photographs of elderly couples in intimate poses, which opens at the Elms Lesters Painting Rooms in London on Saturday.

Cialis, which was launched in February in the UK, is in a three-way battle for market share with Pfizer Inc.'s Viagra and GlaxoSmithKline Plc's and Bayer's Levitra.

Lilly's UK arm was publicly reprimanded by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry in May for promoting its product ahead of market authorisation.

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