/

Table of contents

Expand All Topics

Erectile dysfunction

Background

Overview

Definition
ED is a male sexual dysfunction characterized by an inability to achieve or maintain a penile erection sufficient for sexual satisfaction.
1
Pathophysiology
ED is caused due to endocrine (reduced serum testosterone levels), psychogenic (stress, depression, anxiety), nonendocrine (spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, radical pelvic surgery, medications) factors.
1
Disease course
Clinical manifestations of ED may include gynecomastia, a decrease in beard and body hair due to hypogonadism, tachycardia, arterial bruit, bradycardia, arrhythmia, Peyronie disease, phimosis, frenulum breve, in addition to comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, obesity).
1
Prognosis and risk of recurrence
ED is not associated with increased mortality.
1

Guidelines

Key sources

The following summarized guidelines for the evaluation and management of erectile dysfunction are prepared by our editorial team based on guidelines from the American Diabetes Association (ADA 2025), the European Association of Urology (EAU 2024), the Italian Society of Andrology and Sexual Medicine (SIAMS 2023), the American Urological Association (AUA/SMSNA 2022), the Canadian Urological Association (CUA 2022), the European Society ...
Show more

Screening and diagnosis

Indications for screening
As per ADA 2025 guidelines:
Ask male patients with diabetes or prediabetes about sexual health (low libido and ED). Screen patients with a morning serum total testosterone level if symptoms and/or signs of hypogonadism are detected (such as low libido, ED, and depression).
B
Screen male patients with diabetes or prediabetes for ED, particularly in patients with high cardiovascular risk, retinopathy, CVD, CKD, peripheral or autonomic neuropathy, longer duration of diabetes, depression, and hypogonadism, and in patients not meeting glycemic goals.
B
Create free account

Classification and risk stratification

Severity assessment: as per AUA 2018 guidelines, use validated questionnaires to assess the severity of ED.
E
Create free account

Diagnostic investigations

History and physical examination: as per EAU 2024 guidelines, elicit a comprehensive medical and sexual history in all patients with ED. Elicit a targeted psychosexual history, including life stressors, cultural aspects, and cognitive factors regarding patient sexual performance.
A
Show 2 more
International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5)
Calculator
When to use
How do you rate your confidence that you could get and keep an erection?
Very low
Low
Moderate
High
Very high
When you had erections with sexual stimulation, how often were your erections hard enough for penetration?
Almost never/never
A few times much less than half the time)
Sometimes about half the time)
Most times much more than half the time)
Almost always/always
During sexual intercourse, how often were you able to maintain your erection after you had penetrated (entered) your partner?
Almost never/never
A few times much less than half the time)
Sometimes about half the time)
Most times much more than half the time)
Almost always/always
During sexual intercourse, how difficult was it to maintain your erection to completion of intercourse?
Extremely difficult
Very difficult
Difficult
Slightly difficult
Not difficult
When you attempted sexual intercourse, how often was it satisfactory for you?
Almost never/never
A few times much less than half the time)
Sometimes about half the time)
Most times much more than half the time)
Almost always/always
Calculation
Please enter all the required inputs.
Create free account

More topics in this section

  • Doppler ultrasound

  • Nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity monitoring

  • Laboratory tests

  • Screening for CVD

  • Screening for BPH

Medical management

Avoidance of drugs affecting erectile function
As per SIAMS 2023 guidelines:
Consider prescribing drugs with the lowest impact on sexual function.
C
Avoid using β-blockers as first-line therapy in patients with newly diagnosed arterial hypertension in the absence of specific cardiological indications.
D
Create free account

More topics in this section

  • PDE5 inhibitors

  • Testosterone replacement therapy

Nonpharmacologic interventions

Lifestyle modifications
As per EAU 2024 guidelines:
Offer lifestyle changes and risk factor modification before or at the same time as initiating ED treatments.
A
Treat a curable cause of ED first, when found.
B
Create free account

More topics in this section

  • Dietary supplements

  • Erection rehabilitation

  • Vacuum erection devices

  • Psychosocial interventions

Therapeutic procedures

Intraurethral alprostadil: as per EAU 2024 guidelines, offer topical/intraurethral alprostadil as an alternative first-line therapy in well-informed patients not wishing or not suitable for oral vasoactive therapy, not wishing to have intracavernous injections, or in patients preferring a less invasive therapy.
B
Create free account

More topics in this section

  • Intracavernous injections

  • Extracorporeal shock wave therapy

Surgical interventions

Penile vascular surgery
As per AUA 2018 guidelines:
Consider performing penile arterial reconstruction in young patients with ED and focal pelvic/penile arterial occlusion in the absence of documented generalized vascular disease or veno-occlusive dysfunction.
C
Do not perform penile venous surgery for the treatment of ED.
D
Create free account

More topics in this section

  • Penile prosthesis implantation

Specific circumstances

Patients with obesity, indications for bariatric surgery: as per SIAMS 2023 guidelines, consider offering bariatric surgery to decrease ED in patients with morbid obesity.
C
Create free account

More topics in this section

  • Patients with obesity (after bariatric surgery)

  • Patients with hypogonadism

  • Patients with hyperprolactinemia

  • Patients with other endocrine disorders

  • Patients with Peyronie's disease (surgical management)

  • Patients with Peyronie's disease (PDE5 inhibitors)

  • Patients with Peyronie's disease (penile prosthesis)

  • Patients with BPH

  • Patients with premature ejaculation

  • Patients with urethral injury

  • Patients with neurogenic ED

  • Patients with Parkinson's disease

  • Patients with Huntington's disease

Patient education

Counseling before arterial embolization for priapism: as per AUA/SMSNA 2022 guidelines, inform patients with non-ischemic priapism that embolization carries a risk of ED.
B
Create free account

More topics in this section

  • Counseling before radical prostatectomy

  • Counseling before Intracavernous injections

Preventative measures

Counseling before anti-androgenic therapy: as per SIAMS 2023 guidelines, inform all patients treated with antiandrogenic agents about possible negative effects on erectile function.
E
Create free account

Follow-up and surveillance

Assessment of treatment response: as per EAU 2024 guidelines, inform patients of the mechanism of action and how PDE5 inhibitors should be taken, as incorrect use/inadequate information is the main causes of a lack of response to PDE5 inhibitors.
A
Create free account

More topics in this section

  • Management of iatrogenic priapism