impotence
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Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction (ED), the inability to sustain an erection sufficient for intercourse more than 25% of the time, is neither an uncommon problem nor one about which you need to be ashamed.
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Papaverine or Prostaglandin Injections
This consists of injecting the substance into the shaft of your penis, the same as in the diagnostic test mentioned a few pages ago. I realize it sounds painful when you read about it, but it usually is not.
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Penile Implants
Since as far back as the 1930s, surgeons have been experimenting with ways to produce artificial erections. By now the art of penile implants is highly advanced, and though there are a great many implant models, they can be conveniently put in two groups.
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Vacuum Devices
Several devices have come on the market in recent years that allow you to get an erection by suction. The typical device consists of a plastic cylinder that fits over the penis.
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Erectile Dysfunction Treatments
Sexual medicine has made major advances in recent years. A number of new treatments have become available and a number of older ones have been refined.
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The Urological Exam
A thorough urological exam consists of a number of procedures. Not every doctor does all of them, but I list several of the main ones here for your information.
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What to Expect from an Exam
After a complete urological workup — which may take several visits, depending on the number and nature of tests done — you should have a better understanding of the possible role of medical factors in your difficulty.
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Should You See a Urologist?
I think it’s a good idea to get a urological consultation unless it’s clear that the problem is totally psychological. Medical science has been quite active in the sexual arena in the last twenty years, and a number of new diagnostic tests and treatments have been developed and refined.
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Physical or Psychological?
Erection problems can be mainly physical (but almost always with a psychological component because of how men feel about a malfunctioning penis), mainly or totally psychological, or a mixture of the two.
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Resolving Erection Problems: Medical Options
“You want to know how I feel, I’ll tell you. I feel like an absolute nothing. I know I can satisfy her in other ways and I do, but that’s not the point. I feel like shit, like the center has been taken out of me.”