Erectile Dysfunction - Diagnosis

In the last 20 years there has been increasing recognition that erectile dysfunction is a common problem. While many patients may come to their general practitioner's or internist's offices with erectile dysfunction as a primary complaint, there are still many patients who feel reluctant or embarrassed to discuss this problem. Many physicians also feel uncomfortable discussing and evaluating sexual dysfunction. It is important for us as physicians to feel comfortable discussing and evaluating sexual dysfunction and hopefully to help our patients feel comfortable discussing these issues. Several recent studies have looked at the prevalence of erectile dysfunction. The Massachusetts male aging study was a cross-sectional random sample community-based survey of 1,290 men ages 40 to 70 years and was conducted from 1987 to 1989 in areas around Boston.1 Erectile dysfunction was self-reported and the condition was classified as mild, moderate or complete. The combined prevalence of minimal, moderate and complete erectile dysfunction was 52%. The study demonstrated that erectile dysfunction is increasingly prevalent with age. At age 40 there was an approximately 40% prevalence rate increasing to close to 70% in men age 70. The prevalence of moderate erectile dysfunction increased from 17% to about 34% with that of complete erectile dysfunction increasing from 5% to 15% as age increased from 40 to 70.