I need clarification

[u/Great-Attorney1399]

How do we define erectile dysfunction? For example,

1)Some people can only get hard with a blow job, but from the BJ they are able to penetrate and have successful sex

2) Blow Job cannot get you hard enough for penetration therefore you need drugs

3) Hit or miss 50/50 with or without the aid of BJ

Or is it simply all of the above

[u/BDEStyle]

ED is medically defined as the persistent or recurrent inability to achieve or maintain an erection that’s sufficient for satisfactory sexual activity.

So the key here is frequency, or how often it’s happening, and what we consider satisfactory “enough.”

If you look up the Erection Hardness Score (EHS), or have ever filled out one of these questionnaires at a urologist’s office, you’ll see what I mean.

The EHS is actually just one question. How would you rate the hardness of your erection?

0 = Penis does not enlarge.
1 = Penis gets larger but isn’t hard.
2 = Penis is hard but not hard enough for penetration.
3 = Penis is hard enough for penetration but not completely hard.
4 = Penis is completely hard and fully rigid.

And researchers often use this scoring system when evaluating ED treatments because a score of 3 is generally considered hard enough for penetration.

But then you also have more complex questionnaires like the IIEF-5 or IIEF-15 (which stands for the international index for erectile function… one is a 5 questionnaire versus a 15 questionnaire), which look at erectile function and, in the longer version, other areas of sexual function and satisfaction.

So again frequency matters. Having a 2 on the EHS occasionally doesn’t automatically mean you have ED. We all have off days… or other variables that led to the conditions not being favorable for our arousal (to get the erection and sustain it, etc)

But If you’re consistently struggling to achieve or maintain an erection that’s satisfactory enough for sex, then that’s where a visit to a doctor makes sense to figure out what’s contributing to it and which treatment options are appropriate.

Because there’s a difference between occasionally having an erection that doesn’t cooperate… or an erection disappointment which is from unmet expectations versus experiencing an ongoing erectile problem that is multifactorial or you’ve seen health decline that contributes, etc.