The Surprising Prevalence of ED in Young Men

Even though the ailment is usually associated with older men, studies indicates that erectile dysfunction in young men is far more commonplace than you would think. As stated by a 2006 research project conducted by Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, nearly 13% of college-aged men experience occasional erectile dysfunction symptoms, with the percentage skyrocketing to an estimated 25% amongst those who drink liquor regularly.

These findings also guided researchers to yet another unexpected discovery – the surprisingly-high number of young men who use erectile dysfunction drugs. As part of the study, a poll was conducted which revealed that 6% of respondents had taken Cialis, Levitra, or Viagra at some time to combat their episodes of male impotence.

Reasons for Erectile Dysfunction in Young Men

The vast majority of young men interviewed as part of the previously mentioned study attributed their Erectile dysfunction to the abuse of narcotics (with marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine being the most-prevalent) and alcohol. While this admission came as no real surprise considering the demographic in question, the fact that the remaining 33% of participants suspected their erectile dysfunction to have a psychological cause was somewhat unexpected.

Psychological Factors

As is often the case with older sufferers, psychological factors tend to be the most-frequent explanation for erectile dysfunction in young men. Performance anxiety was identified as the leading culprit of Erectile dysfunction in this group (and the main inspiration for using medications like Viagra), but anxiety-related factors and depression were also brought up with increasing frequency proportional to the participant’s age.

Vascular Illnesses

The second-leading cause of erectile dysfunction in young men was recognized as the class of circulatory conditions collectively known as “vascular diseases”. Foremost among these is diabetes which, according to Dr. Tony Sliwinski of the Virginia Urology Center, causes erectile dysfunction in approximately 75% of its documented cases.

Behavioral Factors

The third-most common cause of ED among the test subjects was behavioral. Smoking and a sedentary lifestyle (i.e., lack of physical exercise) were recognized as the most-common among these, with the percentage of young men experiencing instances of erectile dysfunction matching those of older men with the same behavioral challenges.

Treating ED in Young Men

The prescribed treatments of ED in young men are similar to the ones intended for older ED patients. The one critical difference is that an elevated importance is generally placed on counseling because erection problems that appear at a young age oftentimes lead to major psychological problems, no matter their underlying cause. This trend is much more prevalent in younger men, because of the fact that ED is so frequently (albeit, wrongly) labeled as an “old man’s problem”.

The Need for Seeking Treatment

One last finding offered by the Chicago group study was that young men are much-less likely to seek out treatment for erectile dysfunction than their more mature counterparts. As a consequence of previously mentioned stigma connected with ED in young men, a sense of shame oftentimes stops those who struggle with the issue from coming forward for, in many cases, years. As is the case with most other health issues, erectile dysfunction in young men is treatable – but only if the affected person seeks treatment. If you are experiencing erectile dysfunction, regardless of your age, make an appointment with a physician to discuss your issue and undergo diagnosis.

For more information on erectile dysfunction in young men and related sexual health problems, be sure to visit Darin Mendanor’s site where you can find useful advice on all issues related to erectile dysfunction symptoms.