Erectile dysfunction in men under 40 is usually caused by psychological problems, say experts. Erectile dysfunction, or ED, is the inability to attain or maintain an erection, and 18 million men in the U.S. suffer from it, although it is rare in younger men.
According to Pittsburg urologist Dr. Jeffrey Cohen, “The largest cause in this group is psychogenic. The other is vascular complications resulting from diabetes. We don’t see much of vascular diseases, so more of the cases are a result of what is between the ears. You don’t see a lot of erectile dysfunction in men under the age of 40. It’s more a matter of perception of how they are functioning. They still want to be 16, and that’s just not possible.”
Common psychological factors that can trigger ED are: performance anxiety; unrecognized homosexuality; death or illness in the family, especially of a spouse or child; and financial problems.
Virginia urologist Dr. Tony Sliwinski agrees with Cohen. “I’d say this is true in at least 10 to 25 percent of all men in their 30s and somewhat less in men in their 20s who experience ED,” Sliwinski said. “My biggest concern is the denial my younger patients have that they have a problem.”
Professional help is the key to overcoming it, said Cohen. “The reason behind the manifestation of sexual problems like erectile dysfunction in younger men is that they really need to talk to somebody – a urologist, psychologist. It’s a very difficult conversation to have with friends or your religious clergy. You can’t just say to anybody, ‘Hey, I’m having problems at home.’”
Cohen added that younger people in general need to learn to handle stress better. “I can’t tell you how many times people come in and you hear all this tragedy in their life,” he said. “Past generations have lived through a lot more. Now life is easier, but stresses are not greater. People have this perception of reality that everything is so stressful now and of course this can have a huge impact on one’s sexual health.”
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