How To Deal With Erectile Dysfunction in a Relationship

You may ask “Is erectile dysfunction a deal breaker in a long-term relationship?” How can you handle erectile dysfunction in your partner so that you can have a blissful relationship ahead?

Erectile dysfunction is a serious condition for couples who are planning to get married and to some, it may be considered a deal breaker. However, erectile dysfunction should not be a deal breaker particularly when the partners know more about it and how to treat this condition.

In this post, you will learn more about erectile dysfunction and ways you can overcome its scourge on your sex life in the relationship with your partner through effective medical and psychological solutions to your partner.

What is Erectile Dysfunction

Healthline defines erectile dysfunction as the inability to get or keep an erection firm enough to have sexual intercourse^[1]Erectile Dysfunction (ED): What is it and How to treat it – Healthline, often referred to as impotence by the layman.

For a successful sexual intercourse, the penis needs to be erect and firm to allow active penetration into the female genitals. This process also enables the propulsion of sperm during the process of ejaculation.

While adequate erection is important for proper sex and ejaculation, a good erection is also helps give the feeling of sexual pleasure and satisfaction among the partners.

Statistics of Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction is commoner than you think. And if you are curious as to how many people may have erectile dysfunction, here are some statistics of erectile dysfunction you need to know.

According to a study done in 2012, as many as 30 million American men were affected by erectile, of which thirty percent of hypertensive patients were among this number.^[2]New Insights into Hypertension-Associated Erectile Dysfunction – PMC

Another study shows that every 1 in 10 men has had erectile dysfunction at some point in their lifetime^[3]Cleveland Clinic, 2019, with an estimated increase in world prevalence of erectile dysfunction to 322 million men by 2025^[4]International Journal of Impotence Research, 2000.

The prevalence of erectile dysfunction increases with age, with approximately 40% of men being affected by a form of erectile dysfunction or another by 40 years old, and nearly 70% by age 70. This prevalence has been shown to increase by 10% for each decade of life^[5]The University of Wisconsin.

What Causes Erectile Dysfunction (ED)?

Dealing with erectile dysfunction in your relationships also requires you to know the causes of this condition. Some of the causes of erectile dysfunction are modifiable, others are not. The modifiable causes involve factors one can change, while non-modifiable ones are the converse.

Here are some causes of erectile dysfunction in men.

1. Age: As shown above, increasing age may increase the occurrence of erectile dysfunction among men.
2. Chronic medical conditions, e.g hypertension, Diabetic Mellitus (DM), etc
3. Drugs, including drugs of abuse.
4. Excessive alcohol consumption.
5. Stress, etc

The underlying cause of erectile dysfunction involves a failure of the blood vessels supplying the penis to dilate adequately, resulting in a dysfunction of the surrounding vascular smooth muscle known as the cavernosal smooth muscle.

Is Erectile Dysfunction a Deal Breaker in Relationships?

Several people have different opinions about erectile dysfunction in a man being a deal breaker for a new blossoming relationship. When some women were asked the question on Reddit “Would you love and respect a man with erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation problems if he wasn’t rich and good-looking?”,

Below are some of their responses:

“If I started dating a guy, and I really liked him, and I found out that he had ED/PE, I wouldn’t stop dating him and it wouldn’t make me think less of him or change my feelings. But I would encourage him to talk to his doctor and see about methods to help with his problem.”

“Sex is important to me, so I wouldn’t be able to be with a guy who suffered persistently with those problems. I don’t see what ‘rich’ has to do with that though. People should be attracted to their significant others.”

“I’d never say anything, but I’d be pretty disappointed. If I wasn’t overly interested in you to begin with it would be a deal breaker. Intercourse is my favorite part of sex, and the longer the better.”

These responses point out the importance of good sexual performance in every relationship. Erectile dysfunction or impotence could potentially be a deal-breaker if there is nothing that could be done about it. But thankfully, there are several ways to handle erectile dysfunction in your relationship.

In the next section, you will see some treatment interventions to prevent erectile dysfunction from being a deal breaker in your relationship.

Treatment Options for Erectile Dysfunction

Due to the importance of satisfying sex in most relationships, erectile dysfunction thus raises a major problem that can lead to the demise of the relationship if nothing is done about it. This has resulted in an intense search for effective treatments for this condition.

Generally, the specific cause of erectile dysfunction should be addressed. For example, having stated that hypertension is a major cause of erectile dysfunction in men, it becomes key to treat hypertension as a secondary way of treating erectile dysfunction.

1. Medications

The complexity of erectile dysfunction makes people more likely to try medications in its treatment before anything else. Some common drugs used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction include the following:

a. Sildenafil

Sildenafil belongs to a class of drugs known as phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors. It is a powerful drug that increases blood flow to the penis to that you can get and maintain a stronger erection for a longer time.

Sildenafil is an effective treatment for erectile dysfunction and it comes in different popular brand names such as Viagra, Revatio, etc.

b. Tadalafil

This is another type of PDE-5 inhibitor similar to Sildenafil. They work by enhancing the effects of nitric oxide in the smooth muscles of the blood vessels, thus acting as a vasodilatory agent. A common brand name for Tadalafil is Cialis.

Other examples of PDE-5 inhibitors include Avanafil (Stendra), and Vardenafil.

c. Antihypertensives

Since hypertension has been shown to cause 30 percent of men with erectile dysfunction, it stands to reason why antihypertensives would be effective in controlling erectile dysfunction.

Hypertension damages the walls of the blood vessels and increases the chances of forming small clots within the blood vessels. These impair the function of the arteries in supplying blood to the penis, thus affecting the quality and strength of erection during the act of sex.

Examples of effective antihypertensives used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction include alpha-blockers e.g. Finasteride, and Tamsulosin.

d. Hormonal therapy

Testosterone is the major hormone responsible for performance and libido in men. Taking testosterone replacements could help treat erectile dysfunction as a man.

Also, other natural substances exist which has been shown to contain high levels of testosterone. These products hold the key to unlocking higher erectile function in men. However, as a precaution, you need to verify the claims for product safety and effectiveness before trying them out.

2. Lifestyle modifications

Aside from medications, modifying one’s lifestyle can also help in treating and preventing erectile dysfunction as a man. If you are struggling with erectile dysfunction as a man, you may need to cut off your intake of alcohol and tobacco.

Other helpful lifestyle tips include engaging in rewarding physical exercises and avoiding binge-watching pornographic videos which can negatively affect your perception of sexual pleasure with your partner.

3. See a professional

To handle erectile dysfunction, you may need to consult the services of a professional. A relationship therapist, a sexologist, and a physician could be helpful in not only ensuring that the erectile dysfunction is treated but also so that it does not have unexpected effects on your relationship with your partner.

Erectile dysfunction should not be a deal breaker if you are aware of the various options of management as discussed here.

So if you are thinking of breaking up with your partner because he has become ‘impotent’, remember that there is never a time erectile dysfunction has been a deal breaker in any relationship if both partners are aware of these available solutions.