Erectile dysfunction: who is affected?

All too often pejoratively referred to as "impotence" erectile dysfunction affect one in three men after 40 years. Through its impact on quality of life, this problem is not so trivial. Focus on a phenomenon long remained taboo.

Erectile dysfunction is defined as the consistent or recurrent inability to attain and / or maintain a penile erection sufficient for sexual intercourse. Long ignored, these problems come to light today.

The various male sexual disorders
Since 1974, the World Health stressed the importance of sexual health as a component of well-being to which every individual is entitled: "The individual has fundamental rights, including the right to sexual health and pleasure, and power to control their sexual and reproductive activity in terms of a personal social ethics "(WHO, 1974).

According to Professor François Giuliano, surgeon urologist at the University Hospital of Kremlin-Bicetre, male sexual health consists of five main components: desire, arousal, orgasm, satisfaction and ejaculation. Thus, dysfunction can be classified into disorders of desire, erection, ejaculation, orgasm and sensitivity. Among them, erectile dysfunction is one that most affects the quality of life.

A three-man hit after 40 years
After 40 years, this disorder is far from trivial because in France nearly one in three men would be concerned1.

The age is thus the main risk factor for erectile dysfunction. What is not inconsequential in view of increased life expectancy.

A phenomenon exploding
Erectile dysfunction (ED) are undoubtedly related to aging. Thus, the number of cases and the incidence of ED will increase with increases in life expectancy. Some work2The number of people affected will increase from 152 million in 1995 to 322 million in 2025!

But age is not the only culprit, and other factors most often modifiable directly affect the appearance of erectile dysfunction.
Other risk factors
Once our body suffers, our sexuality can be affected. For reasons of anatomical, biochemical or alteration of arteries, certain diseases or treatments can cause erectile dysfunction: diabetes, prostate disease, hypertension ...

Besides these organic causes, the erectile dysfunction may originate from psychological problems. Although this distinction is often too simplistic, it results in the perception of men who suffer. According to a recent survey4Men under 45 years relate their condition to fatigue and stress, while more than 45 years (as well as men very concerned with the pathology) give more prominence to aging and certain diseases (hypertension pressure, prostate problems and other cardiovascular problems).

We recognize today that DE have often multifactorial in origin, causes psychological Compounding of organic origin.

Solutions exist!
But most of these factors are modifiable and can be treated. The management of sexual problems can mostly be done in parallel without difficulty, provided they speak ... The extensive study MALES (Men's Attitudes on Life Events and Sexuality)5 conducted in 8 countries including France, has polled between February and April 2001, 27 839 men aged 20 to 75 years on their characteristics and their attitude to erectile dysfunction. In this population, 16% had erectile dysfunction, and among them only half wanted to take treatment. Contrary to popular belief, older applicants were not less, resignation to sexual activity is not essential. In summary, age did not influence the motivation to take treatment. Difficulty in tackling the issue against his doctor? Fear of taboo? ... If this issue affects your quality of life, know that today many solutions exist. The key is to take the first step from view.

 

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