Erectile Dysfunction in Young Men

Erectile Dysfunction in Young Men

By Chris Iliades, MD | Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH
Erectile dysfunction in old age is common, but what do doctors look for if a young man is struggling with ED? Learn about the common causes of ED in young men.

A lot of men might expect to deal with erectile dysfunction later in life. Half of all men between the ages of 40 and 70 experience occasional erectile dysfunction, and the frequency and severity of ED both increase with age. But what if you're a man under age 40 wrestling with it? Turns out, you're not alone.

A 2013 study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine evaluated 439 men for erectile dysfunction and compared ED causes and frequency in men 40 or younger to men over 40. They found that 26 percent of the younger men had ED. Although these men were healthier and had higher levels of testosterone than the older men, they were more likely to be smokers or to have used illicit drugs. In almost half of the younger men with ED, the ED was considered severe.

"We used to think that ED in young men was 90 percent psychological, but we now know that most cases are caused by a combination of risk factors. Erectile function depends on hormones, blood supply, nerve function, and psychological health,” said Run Wang, MD, professor of urology at The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston and director of sexual medicine at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Read more