| | Erectile Dysfunction (Male Impotence)
Questions, Answers, Facts and Treatments This guide is intended to provide answers to questions about male impotence (erectile dysfunction). You can browse the menu on the left for links to the most common questions. What is Male Impotence (Erectile Dysfunction)? Erectile dysfunction, sometimes called impotence, is the inability to get or keep an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse. The word "impotence" may also be used to describe problems that interfere with sexual intercourse and reproduction, such as lack of sexual desire and problems with ejaculation or orgasm. Using the term erectile dysfunction makes it clear those problems are not involved. Erectile dysfunction, or impotence, 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 impotence and estimating its incidence difficult. Estimates range from 15 million to 30 million, depending on the definition used. According to the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), for every 1,000 men in the United States, 7.7 physician visits were made for impotence in 1985. By 1999, that rate had nearly tripled to 22.3. The increase happened as treatments such as vacuum devices and injectable drugs became widely available and discussing erectile dysfunction became accepted. Perhaps the most publicized advance was the introduction of the oral drug sildenafil citrate (Viagra) in March 1998. NAMCS data on new drugs show an estimated 2.6 million mentions of Viagra at physician visits in 1999, and one-third of those occurred during visits for issues other than male impotence. In older men, impotence usually has a physical cause, such as disease, injury, or side effects of drugs. Any disorder causing injury to the nerves or impairing blood flow to the penis could potentially cause impotence. Incidence increases with age-about 5% of 40-year-old men and between 15 and 25% of 65-year-old men experience impotence. But it is not inevitable with aging. Impotence is treatable at any age, and awareness of this is increasing. More men have been seeking help and returning to normal sexual activity because of improved, successful treatments for impotence. Urologists, who specialize in urinary tract problems, have traditionally treated impotence. However, urologists accounted for only 25 percent of Viagra mentions in 1999. Hope Through Research Advances in suppositories, injectable medications, implants, and vacuum devices have expanded the options for men seeking treatment for impotence. These advances have also helped increase the number of men seeking treatment. Gene therapy for impotence is now being tested in several centers and may offer a long-lasting therapeutic approach to impotence.The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) sponsors programs aimed at understanding the causes of erectile dysfunction and finding treatments to reverse its effects. NIDDK's Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases supported the researchers who developed Viagra and continue to support basic research into the mechanisms of erection and the diseases that impair normal function at the cellular and molecular levels, including diabetes and high blood pressure.Points to Remember - Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the repeated inability to get or keep an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse.
- Impotence affects 15 to 30 million American men.
- Impotence usually has a physical cause.
- Impotence is treatable at all ages.
- Treatments include psychotherapy, drug therapy, vacuum devices, and surgery.
Acknowledgements This report was adapted by The Impotence Guide. The facts contained in this report were obtained from the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse reviewed by both NIDDK scientists and outside experts Arnold Melman, M.D., Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, and Mark Hirsch, M.D., U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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