The Fundamentals of Sex

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Erectile disorder has a specific clinical definition that men with erection difficulty do always not meet.

Variability in erections is normal and not necessarily a dysfunction.

Excessive worry about erections is a common way men inadvertantly contribute to erectile issues.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a real problem, affecting millions of men worldwide. It is also one of the most over-applied terms in men's health. This is especially the case when we self-diagnose.

If you're experiencing difficulty with erections for the first time, you might wonder: Do I have ED?

Probably not. Understanding the difference between dysfunction and normal variability matters more than you might think.

Please note that the following case is a composite with client details anonymized to protect privacy.

Mark was 28 years old and relatively fresh out of his first and only relationship—a high school romance. He had never experienced erectile problems during the relationship, but the couple had also stopped having any kind of intimacy over the past few years. He denied anxiety about being single and was actively looking forward to dating again. However, several of his first new sexual encounters ended with an unexpected outcome—difficulty maintaining his erections.

He entered therapy talking about his problems with “erectile dysfunction.” But was this term accurate?

The Clinical Definition

Erectile dysfunction requires........

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