Erectile dysfunction is a consistent inability to sustain an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse. Medical professionals often use the term “erectile dysfunction” to describe this disorder and to differentiate it from other problems that interfere with sexual intercourse, such as lack of sexual desire and problems with ejaculation and orgasm. This fact sheet focuses on erectile dysfunction defined as erectile dysfunction.
Erectile dysfunction can be a total inability to achieve erection, an inconsistent ability to do so, or a tendency to sustain only brief erections. These variations make defining erectile dysfunction and estimating its incidence difficult.
Erectile dysfunction usually has a physical cause, such as disease, injury, or drug side-effects. Any disorder that impairs blood flow through he penis has the potential to cause erectile dysfunction. Incidence rises with age: about five percent of men at the age of 40 and between 15 and 25 percent of men at the age of 65 experience erectile dysfunction. Yet, it is not an inevitable part of aging.
Erectile dysfunctionis treatable in all age groups, and awareness of this fact has been growing. More men have been seeking help and returning to near-normal sexual activity because of improved, successful treatments for erectile dysfunction. Urologists, who specialize in problems of the urinary tract, have traditionally treated erectile dysfunction–especially complications of erectile dysfunction.