Debunking some of the common myths about erectile dysfunction

Here at Medical Specialists Pharmacy we deal with thousands of patients every year, many of whom are men of varying ages seeking help with their erectile dysfunction (ED).

Therefore, we hear many assumptions, myths and misconceptions about the subject, and why men suspect they have developed impotence. We have even experienced a certain degree of shame and embarrassment from some men who seek our help, which should not be the case at all as erectile dysfunction is a fairly common health problem.

Since Pfizer’s Viagra burst onto the market in 1998, it has been followed by Eli Lilly’s Cialis and Bayer’s Levitra, all of which offer men a relatively safe and effective treatment to combat erectile dysfunction. As their popularity has skyrocketed in the subsequent 15 years since Viagra emerged, the unrealistic expectations and myths have also increased, which further add to an uncertainty about erectile dysfunction.

Here we breakdown the most common myths and dispel each of them:

MYTH: Erectile dysfunction only occurs in older men.

FACT: Although it is something that happens to approximately 4 in 10 men over the age of 40, erectile dysfunction can actually affect men of all ages and as Medical Specialists reported earlier this week, it is now becoming more prominent in younger men.

MYTH: Erectile dysfunction is just ‘part and parcel’ of getting older.

FACT: The condition may be more common in older men and more stimulation may be required compared to in years gone by, but there is no reason for men to simply accept their sex lives are over once they reach a certain age. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and through the help of oral medications like Viagra, men can still enjoy sex well into their senior years.

MYTH: Erectile dysfunction is not medically serious and is simply an upsetting annoyance.

FACT: The inability to achieve and sustain an erection, although annoying and sometimes distressing for those who want to enjoy sex, may actually be the early signs of an underlying health condition such as diabetes or heart problems such as high blood pressure and atherosclerosis – where the arteries become hardened. Atherosclerosis can result in a potentially fatal heart attack. Erectile dysfunction may mean atherosclerosis is already present in the heart or brain. Typically, many men with erection problems also have one or more risk factors for atherosclerosis, including:

. High cholesterol levels.
. High blood pressure.
. Diabetes.
. Smoking.
. Obesity.

MYTH: Erectile dysfunction means you are not attracted to your partner.

FACT: There could be a multitude of reasons for the inability to achieve and maintain an erection for sex. Not being attracted to the other person could be one, but it is a lot more likely to be another reason, including:

. Lifestyle choices such as smoking and alcohol consumption.
. A hormonal imbalance.
. Neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
. Emotional problems such as stress, anxiety and depression.
. Medications to treat the emotional problems listed above, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been known to cause sexual side effects. Severity can depend on the particular drug and dose, but may ease over time as the person’s body adjusts to the drug.
. The after-effects of surgery for prostate and bladder problems.
. Diabetes – An estimated 35 to 50% of men with diabetes also have erection problems.

MYTH: Those with other medical conditions besides erectile dysfunction cannot take any ED medication.

FACT: Generally, erectile dysfunction medications do not interfere with other medical conditions or medications.  However, men suffering with heart related conditions or taking nitrate drugs should only take ED medications under undergoing a physical examination and seeing their GP first.

Husbands with higher-earning wives more likely to use Viagra

Are you a married man who is earning less money than your wife? If so, your chances of suffering with erectile dysfunction and thus taking Viagra, Cialis or Levitra, are greater. These are the claims from a Danish study recently published in the Personality and Psychosocial Bulletin which analyses the way a man’s sexual desire is connected to cultural and social conventions.

Interestingly, the study emanates from Denmark – a country known for its highly popular political thriller ‘Borgen’, which depicts a fictional female prime minister who runs the country whilst her husband remains at home to care for their children. A role reversal on the stereotypical TV shows of years gone by usually show the wife as the housebound partner who looks after the children.

According to the research team involved in the study, Denmark is one of the most progressive countries in the world in terms of women’s rights and loss of male pride could be an even bigger issue in other areas of the world.

The authors comment: “When women out-earn their husbands, it challenges the traditional social norms of the man as economic provider and female income as supplemental.”

For the study, Danish and U.S. researchers looked at prescription data and salaries from approximately 200,000 married Danish couples between 1997 and 2006.

This analysis found that Viagra and other medications to treat male impotence (erectile dysfunction) were particularly prominent within households where the woman was the primary breadwinner.

Remarkably, the pattern was even evident in couples whereby the woman was only bringing home slightly more money than her husband.  Men were not the only one requiring some form of treatment though and their high-salaried wives seemed to be more dependent on anxiety and sleeping tablets – perhaps meaning their careers had taken their toll.

Commenting on their findings, the authors say: “Even small differences in relative income are associated with large changes in erectile dysfunction medication usage when they shift the marriage from a male to a female breadwinner.”

Perhaps intriguingly, the trend was not apparent for couples where the wife had been the bigger earner at the beginning of the relationship.  Instead, it was seen in those in which the female had developed a bigger salary than the male during the course of their relationship – suggesting that the men may have had felt a dent to their pride and self-esteem. Stress, depression and other such similar problems are all known to be just some of the causes of erectile dysfunction.

In addition, researchers also discovered that a salary disparity in roughly £10,000 favouring the woman, doubled the chance of the man using Viagra.

Concluding their study, the authors state: “We in no way suggest that the trend towards female breadwinners is socially harmful; greater equality and opportunity for women present undeniable economic and social benefits. Nor do we argue that all men will respond to upward income comparisons negatively; many husbands are proud of and attracted to high-earning wives. Yet recent evidence suggests that gender roles have changed little over the past 20 years. If social norms against female breadwinners continue to be strong, increasing female income will produce real costs in marriage, including the anxiety, insomnia and erectile dysfunction identified here.”

Impotence less likely for men dating women with slimmer waists

Slap-bang in the middle of January and obviously just after the typically indulgent Christmas period is never going to be the most ideal of times for anybody’s waistline as the struggle to lose the bulk gained from all that Christmas food and extra alcohol calories is still underway.

However, the results of a Scottish study on sexual dysfunction could provide some motivation for women to achieve that long-desired ‘figure 8’ body size – often associated as the pinnacle of feminine beauty. The study has possibly also shed light on the reasons why many men could desire women who boast a ‘waspish’ waist.

The results also linked the size and shape of a women’s waistline to the chances of satisfaction or the risk of her partner suffering from erectile dysfunction.

Researchers state that as humans have evolved over the years, our mind-set subconsciously correlates people who are overweight as having a much higher risk of having health problems. Ergo, men would usually perceive a woman who has a more slender waist to be in a healthier condition and an ideal mate for reproductive success.

The study included approximately 700 Czech men aged between 35 to 65 years of age and looked at how frequently they engaged in sexual intercourse. The researchers utilised the measuring scale known as the International Index of Erectile Dysfunction (IIEF)-15) to determine each man’s sexual function. The IIEF-15 is comprised of a set of 15 questions regarding erectile function and sexual satisfaction.

It was ascertained that the men who experienced less occurrences of male impotence were generally younger and had partners who were also younger in age, and interestingly partners who had a slimmer waist. In addition, the same men reported to being much more satisfied with their sex life.

Lead researcher Stuart Brody, professor of psychology at the University of West Scotland, shed some light on the apparent ‘waist effect’ seen in the study and highlighted that it was ‘noteworthy’ that those women who had a more slimmer waist were deemed to be more sexually appealing  in all measures of sexual function  – regardless of the age of each partner. One theory put forth for the findings in the study was that the abdominal body fat of the woman actually diminished their own desire on a hormonal level, negatively effecting libido. Whilst another reason was a little more straightforward and was that men could simply just find a more slender frame to be more attractive.

Mr Brody said: “The most compelling explanation was that slimmer women are, on average, more sexually attractive to men (resulting in more frequent sex, stronger erections, and greater satisfaction). This is not surprising, given evolutionary selection pressures, because accumulation of excess body fat, especially abdominally, is associated with elevated risk of metabolic, cardiovascular, and neoplastic disorders. The elevated risk of such disorders could result in poorer fitness and hence less desirability as a mating partner.”

Women are not the only ones though who need to begin counting the calories. It was also found by researchers that many of the men with larger waists reported a lower sexual satisfaction compared to their svelte counterparts. This may not come as a surprise though – Medical Specialists Pharmacy have previously touched upon the causes of erectile dysfunction and obesity has been found to be one of the leading causes of male impotence along with factors such as smoking, alcohol abuse and stress.