Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects more than 3 million men a year in the United States and can be a frustrating condition to navigate, especially for men who are young and healthy. While erectile dysfunction is more common in older men, it is still a common condition in younger men, affecting around 10 percent of males in their 20s. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is caused by many different underlying conditions, most of which are treatable with medication and/or therapy.
If you are experiencing erectile dysfunction (ED), it is important to discuss your risk factors for underlying health conditions that may cause sexual dysfunction in younger men. Be sure to provide an updated list of any and all medications you take on a regular basis, along with any and all concerns you may be experiencing with your sexual function. The majority of men with ED will regain sufficient sexual function with medication and treating the underlying cause of the erectile dysfunction. There are many reasons for young men in their 20s to experience different levels of sexual dysfunction and below we will discuss the different causes of ED.
Causes of Erectile Dysfunction in 20s
Erectile dysfunction is an extremely common condition with many causes, including psychological and physical underlying health conditions. It is important to talk with your doctor about any and all concerns and symptoms of erectile dysfunction you may be experiencing in order to find the appropriate course of treatment of erectile dysfunction that will give you the best chance at a positive outcome. Erectile dysfunction in your 20s can be caused by the following:
- High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Alcohol Abuse
- Drug Abuse
- Smoking
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Chronic Fatigue
- Condom Associated Erection Problem (CAEP)
- Pornography
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
Erections are a complex occurrence and requires healthy blood flow to the penis. If you experience high blood pressure, or hypertension, then your risk factors for ED increase substantially. High blood pressure can cause significant long-term damage to the blood vessels in the body, including the blood vessels in the penis, making it difficult to achieve a healthy erection suitable for sexual activity, resulting in erectile dysfunction. There are also studies that indicate high blood pressure may reduce the production of sex hormones in the body, such as testosterone, which are required for a healthy sex drive and erectile function.
Diabetes
Having diabetes increases your risk factors for experiencing erectile dysfunction and other issues with sexual function. Diabetes can cause significant damage to the body, including damage to the blood vessels, blood flow, and the nerves in and around the penis causing erectile dysfunction. This damage can ultimately affect whether or not you are able to achieve an erection sufficient enough for sex.
Obesity
Obesity affects more than 3 million people in the Unites States every year and increases a person's risk factors for several different conditions and disorders, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and erectile dysfunction. As we have already discussed, high blood pressure and diabetes increase your risk of developing erectile dysfunction. Obesity also increases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease and erectile dysfunction has been shown to be more common in those with cardiovascular disease.
Obesity is also associated with lower levels of testosterone in the body which can ultimately result in poor erectile function and sexual function. There are studies that show men who lose an average of 33 pounds over the course of 2 years reported significant improvement in erectile function.
Alcohol Abuse
Excessive consumption of alcohol can affect your ability to get erections. Alcohol consumption plays a huge factor in erectile dysfunction in young men. Excessive alcohol consumption can also increase your risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease, among other health conditions that are known for contributing to erectile dysfunction. Alcohol slows and interferes with the transmitters in the brain that let the penis know how and when to fill with blood. Alcohol is also known to reduce the production of testosterone, a key chemical in sexual function. Reducing or eliminating your alcohol consumption can help increase sexual function, ultimately increasing erectile function.
Drug Abuse
Just like abusing alcohol could increase your risk of developing erectile dysfunction, using illicit drugs can also increase these risk factors for developing erectile dysfunction along with other serious health conditions. By dulling the neurotransmitters and physical sensation required for achieving a healthy erection, using drugs can affect your erectile function.
Smoking
Smoking, in general, is harmful to your health. Cigarettes and other tobacco products can increase your risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and erectile dysfunction. The chemicals in these products can damage your heart, blood vessels, and nerves, which are required for the production of a healthy erection. The nicotine in cigarettes can also cause the arteries to narrow, which affects the body's blood flow, ultimately causing erectile dysfunction. Erections require proper blood flow in order to be sufficient enough for sexual activity.
Depression and Anxiety
Psychological disorders and erectile dysfunction go hand in hand most of the time and they play a huge role in erectile dysfunction in younger men. Depression and anxiety causes the brain to overproduce or not produce enough of certain chemicals required to stimulate blood flow that is needed for an erection. The majority of males experiencing erectile dysfunction related to depression and anxiety have seen improvement with medications and therapy.
Chronic Fatigue
Chronic fatigue and exhaustion increases the risk factors for erectile dysfunction (ED) in young men. Exhaustion and stress brought on by young adulthood, work, and/or college can dull the way your body reacts to sexual stimulation, resulting in erectile dysfunction. There is no known cause for chronic fatigue but it can be managed with medication, along with the erectile dysfunction.
Condom Associated Erection Problem
While putting on a condom may sound like a simple task, but it can be complicated and stressful in the heat of the moment and it can even cause erectile dysfunction, especially in young men. This stress and anxiety that can occur may cause you to lose your erection completely, a phenomenon known as a condom associated erection problem (CAEP). CAEP is a common occurrence before sex but it can also happen during the act if the condom is too tight, too loose, or reduces sexual stimulation. Using protection is imperative in preventing sexually transmitted diseases but it is also important to know how to properly wear a condom for prevention purposes and to reduce the risk of CAEP and erectile dysfunction.
Pornography
One of the least researched causes of ED, watching pornography has been shown to affect the way your brain responds to sexual stimulation, mostly in younger men. Being desensitized to real world stimulation by pornography can result in a form erectile dysfunction referred to as porn-induced erectile dysfunction. Porn-induced erectile dysfunction results in changes in how you respond to sex due to the limitless accessibility to internet based pornography.
Conclusion
Erectile dysfunction can be an extremely stressful condition for any male, but especially for younger men who are otherwise healthy. Underlying health conditions do play a huge role in ED in young men but they are not the only cause. If you believe you have one of the risk factors for ED or are already experiencing erectile dysfunction, speaking with your doctor about all of your concerns will increase your chance of managing, not only your underlying condition, but also your erectile dysfunction. There are many causes of ED that can affect men of any age. Men with ED should not be discouraged as there are also many treatments for erectile dysfunction. Treatment of erectile dysfunction may not be the only treatment needed so be sure to provide your doctor with an updated list of any and all medications you take on a regular basis and any symptoms you may be experiencing.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5313296/
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/erectile-dysfunction
- https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/354931?id=pmid:w.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8254833
