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How common is erectile dysfunction?
Erectile dysfunction (ED, impotence) varies in severity; some men have a total inability to achieve an erection, others have an inconsistent ability to achieve an erection, and still others can sustain only brief erections. The variations in severity of erectile dysfunction make estimating its frequency difficult. Many men also are reluctant to discuss erectile dysfunction with their doctors due to embarrassment, and thus the condition is underdiagnosed. Nevertheless, experts have estimated that erectile dysfunction affects 30 million men in the United States.
While erectile dysfunction can occur at any age, it is uncommon among young men and more common in the elderly. By age 45, most men have experienced erectile dysfunction at least some of the time. According to the Massachusetts Male Aging Study, complete impotence increases from 5% among men 40 years of age to 15% among men 70 years and older. Population studies conducted in the Netherlands found that some degree of erectile dysfunction occurred in 20% of men between ages 50-54, and in 50% of men between ages 70-78. In 1999, the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey counted 1,520,000 doctor-office visits for erectile dysfunction. Other studies have noted that approximately 35% of men 40-70 years of age suffer from moderate to severe ED, and an additional 15% may have milder forms.
Comment from: Hellfire, 45-54 Male (Patient)Published: May 06
I started not being able to maintain erections at around age 45. Otherwise, I'm in great health – no smoking or drinking, I get regular exercise; I'm very attracted to my wife and to the opposite sex in general. Now I'm 51 and I have almost nothing. I take Cialis if I want to have sex and it works great, but it gives me a pounding headache and it annoys me that I have to use it at all, but that's life, I guess. I am now separated - nothing to do with sex, although it was part of it – and my new girlfriend is 32 and really loves sex, so it's pretty frustrating as far as spontaneity goes.
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