You may be surprised by just how common erectile dysfunction is - 26% of men experience ED before they’re 40 years old and that number increases to around 60% by the age of 60. So, it’s fair to say that ED affects men. Not just older men.
Yet a mixture of outdated masculine ego and societal pressure have made ED something that men don’t like discussing or owning (and treating). We always ask - how many times have you connected with a good friend and had them share something as vulnerable as struggling with ED. We’ll bet that’s ZERO. Point proven.
Your brain is the most important sex organ, responsible for starting the erection engine. In response to a trigger that sexually arouses you (something you’ve experienced physically or visually), your brain sends signals that trigger a hormonal response in the blood vessels of the penis. The arteries relax, increasing blood flow into the corpus cavernosum (two erection chambers made of spongy muscle tissue). Blood enters the penis faster than it can leave and the veins get compressed, trapping blood in the penis. Que, an erection.
Erectile dysfunction is when something stands in the way of your body’s ability to get and maintain an erection.
Effectively, ED is the inability to get and keep an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse. It ranges in severity: some men can get an erection only some of the time; others regularly get hard but can’t maintain their erection during sex and some can just never get an erection.
It’s normal to struggle with getting an erection on the odd occasion, but if you are regularly struggling to get and maintain an erection, you may have erectile dysfunction.
If you think you’re experiencing erectile dysfunction, a doctor can correctly diagnose you and talk you through suitable treatment options.
The articles published by &BAM are for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. If you have any medical questions or concerns, you should contact your doctor.
References
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23651423/
- https://www.healthline.com/health/erectile-dysfunction/young-men
- https://www.urologyhealth.org/urology-a-z/e/erectile-dysfunction-(ed)
- https://www.webmd.com/erectile-dysfunction/how-an-erection-occurs
- https://www.coloplastmenshealth.com/erectile-dysfunction/how-does-an-erection-occur/