Erectile Disorder and Masculinity Myths

What does it mean to have ED in reality?

• Diet, sleep, stress, illnesses, and relational satisfaction all affect one’s desire and ability to become aroused enough to get an erection.

• It is important to focus on what each person desires and defines as a pleasurable and satisfying experience each and every time.

• There has been established a societal belief that males are always ready to be erotically turned on.

Many men approach a sex therapist having self-diagnosed themselves with erectile disorder. Frequently, a man may have intermittent trouble obtaining or maintaining an erection, but these situations aren’t consistent enough or continue over a period of 6 months or longer to qualify for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) diagnosis of erectile disorder:

• Inability to get an erection during sexual activity,

• Inability to maintain an erection long enough to finish a sexual act,

• Inability to get an erection that is as rigid as previously experienced,

• The problem causes stress or loss of self-confidence, affects a relationship, or is found to be a sign of an underlying health condition that requires immediate treatment,

Erectile Disorder and Masculinity Myths