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On the list of health topics that might feel embarrassing to talk about, erectile dysfunction is likely near the top. Pop culture makes it seem like getting and keeping an erection is easy, and that if you can’t, you’re somehow lesser-than.
The truth is, ED is actually more common than you might think. It’s not shameful to experience it.
“I think the most common misconception that I talk about and see in my practice is that ED is something that’s rare,” says Dr. Marah Hehemann, a urologist at the Men's Health Center at UW Medical Center – Roosevelt and an assistant professor in the Department of Urology at UW School of Medicine.
In fact, around 20% of men in their 20s have experienced it, 30% in their 30s, 40% in their 40s ... you see where this is going.
Seeking treatment for ED is important, not only because sexuality is an important part of health and life but because ED can signal that there are other problems going on that need to be addressed — problems that can put your health or even your life at risk.
Vascular disease, aka problems with blood flow, is one of the most common causes of ED.
“The penile arteries can become affected before someone has signs of the coronary arteries being affected,” says Hehemann. “ED oftentimes precedes heart disease.”
Untreated vascular disease puts you at risk of having life-threatening health emergencies like a stroke or heart attack. So treating ED could, in fact, save your life.
