Erectile dysfunction (ED), also known as impotence, is defined as the inability to obtain or maintain an erection sufficient for a satisfactory sexual intercourse. Large epidemiological studies showed that up to 50% of the male population could face ED during a life course.

Erectile dysfunction is defined as the inability to attain or maintain a penile erection “sufficient for satisfactory sexual performance”. The causes of erectile dysfunction are categorized as organic, psychogenic, or mixed. Organic aetiologies account for 80% of cases and include vascular, neurogenic, hormonal, or drug-induced. Vasculogenic erectile dysfunction now accounts for most organic erectile dysfunction due to abnormalities in penile arterial inflow and venous outflow.

Unlike in women, in men the biological functions that are needed for procreation, are not characterized by a rapid decline such as is observed in women’s menopause. Nonetheless, a rather steady decline in serum testosterone levels and sperm quality is observed as men age, indicating, from an evolutionary biology standpoint, that the importance to procreate diminishes when men age. This is also reflected in the fact that erectile dysfunction, which is characterized as “the inability to get and keep an erection firm enough for sex” is more common as men age.

Erectile dysfunction is not a problem only for the men who suffer from it, but also for their partners. And yet, partners often feel reticent to talk about it. There is embarrassment and the fear of hurting the other which prevent communication and lead instead down the road of frustration and resentment. For those who share their bed with a person who suffers from erectile dysfunction and do not know how to act, here are a few tips from the experts at the Harvard Medical School.

Erectile dysfunction ED is a shared sexual disorder for both the men with ED and their sexual partners, but this fact is often underestimated by affected men or treating physicians.1