Why Do Men Live With Erection Problems?

Men are a strange breed. We love a good bit of DIY, fixing things and getting ‘manly’ stuff done but can be a bit rubbish when it comes to important stuff, like our health. That’s especially true when dealing with erectile dysfunction (ED) and an American study has proven it. Three in four men known to have ED didn’t follow through and get treatment.¹

So what’s holding us back from becoming ED-free? Well, let’s take a look at some of the more common reasons.

We don’t like doctors.

No surprises here. Unless we’re on Death’s door a lot of us are happier with our head in the sand than in the waiting room. The irony here is that if you experience ED you could be heading towards Death’s door whether you like it or not. ED is often a sign of more serious health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease^2,3. So if you experience ED, bite the bullet and make an appointment with your doctor. And go.

Maybe you can fix it yourself?

While this is definitely possible, it’s not easy. ED is sometimes caused by drinking too much alcohol, smoking, being overweight and recreational drugs, so cleaning up your act could make you ED-free². Bottom line, doing more good stuff and less bad stuff is always going to help, ED or not. Just understand you don’t have to be a solo warrior. Your doctor or pharmacist could help speed the process considerably.

You’re not sure you actually have ED.

It’s easy to think if you can muster an erection you don’t have ED. Not so. ED is defined as the inability to get or maintain an erection long enough for satisfactory sexual intercourse. Some men get out of the gate fast but fade down the home stretch. Some never really get going to begin with. Everyone’s different. The point is, not getting or maintaining an erection on occasion doesn’t automatically spell ED. If it’s consistently happening that’s when you might need treatment.

My mates might find out.

Perhaps there’s a chance your buddies will stumble across your Viagra® but it’s just as possible that one of them take Viagra too. ED is a health issue estimated to affect 300,000 kiwi blokes³. So don’t panic about being ‘found out’. The topic of ED and the use of Viagra ( One of the most iconic medicines of all time ), have come a long way from even 10 years ago. Remember, it’s a health condition, nothing more.

If you think you’ve got ED but you’re not sure you should see your doctor, think about it this way. Do you really think a doctor will see your ED as more embarrassing than any other thing they see everyday? And if the reason for your ED is due to something more serious going on, wouldn’t you want to know about that? Treatments like Viagra® are there for a reason so take the opportunity and see your doctor or pharmacist.  

To find out more about ED and treatments like Viagra®, click here.

1 Frederick, Helfand et al. Undertreatment of erectile dysfunction: claims analysis of 6.2 million patients. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25059314/. (Accessed 23 July 2021). 2 Health Navigator. Erectile Dysfunction. Accessed Jul 2021. 3 Quilter M et al. Male Sexual Function in New Zealand. Journal of Sexual Medicine. Oct 2014; 14:928-936.