Erectile dysfunction, also known as “trigger” in colloquial language, is much more common than it might initially seem
Despite this, it is very difficult to establish epidemiological figures, since many men do not seek help for this condition and it is considered taboo in the social sphere to ask about a person’s sexual health. Even with these difficulties, studies estimate that 52% of the American male population between 40 and 70 years old suffers from erectile dysfunction (ED).
We go further, since the same sources estimate that 30 to 50 million people have recurrent triggers in the US and more than 150 million men have erectile dysfunction in the world, at least. With these data, we only want to show that the lack of “skill” in bed is something completely natural, much more than what can be believed after having an anecdotal conversation between people of the male gender.
Furthermore, it should be noted that erectile dysfunction is a sign of a physical clinical entity in 80% of cases. We usually associate it with an emotional condition, but the reality is that it usually indicates a systemic or endocrine imbalance, such as diabetes, hypogonadism, side effects from the consumption of certain drugs and hypertension. With these ideas in mind, we tell you how the trigger affects the quality of life of men.
What is a trigger and when is it a clinical entity?
Erectile dysfunction or trigger is a sexual dysfunction in which the penis does not remain erect (or does not become erect in the first instance) before and during the act of intercourse. It is the most common sexual problem in men, and although its primary trigger is physical, it can have secondary effects on the emotional level. Gender roles and masculine dynamics do not help to normalize this condition either.
All men experience a lack of erection at some point in their lives due to stress, anxiety, substance use and many other reasons, but Erectile dysfunction (ED) persists over time, whether sporadically (you can have relationships sometimes, but not always when you want), permanent or temporary that is, the patient is able to maintain the erection for a while, but not until the sexual act ends.
Below, you can see the most common triggers for erectile dysfunction or triggers:
As you see, most of the causes of erectile dysfunction are above all organic; dysfunction is associated in a non-negligible percentage with depression (whether this is a cause or trigger) and other psychological alterations, but it is almost always accompanied by diabetes, hypertension, hypogonadoism and other conditions that affect the circulatory system.
Does this condition affect the quality of life of men?
Without a doubt, recurrent triggering can be a serious problem for men. As we have seen previously, the probability of experiencing depression if there is erectile dysfunction is up to 3 times greater than in the general population.
According to studies such as “Psychological repercussions of erectile dysfunction on self-esteem and self-confidence”, dysfunction can arise as a result of anxiety, stress and depression, but The inability to perform in the sexual act gives the patient lower levels of self-esteem and even more anxiety and stress A vicious circle is created, in which “I’m worthless” increases dysfunction, while dysfunction fosters the idea of “I’m worthless.”
This same study, after carrying out tests on 405 patients with erectile dysfunction, discovered that there was a clear correlation when quantifying the self-esteem of people with and without ED. In other words, it seems that Men with erectile dysfunction tend to have a diminished self-image , at least compared to the general population. Interestingly, this trend was not observed when quantifying a self-confidence scale.
In any case, it is worth remembering that up to 80% of sustained trigger symptoms are due to organic causes, while 20% respond to emotional imbalances, such as depression, anxiety, personality disorders and other psychiatric events. Therefore, rather than talking about the effect of the trigger on the quality of life of men, it is necessary to pay attention to the underlying cause
Untreated diabetes, hypertension, hypogonadism, and other systemic conditions are clinical entities that go far beyond erection problems. Without going any further, ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of death in high-income countries, and this is widely related to high cholesterol, being hypertensive, being diabetic or having obesity.
So that, It is necessary to see the trigger more as a clinical sign than as a personal failure , since it is almost always preceded by a physical or emotional condition of a pathological nature. If we don’t blame or ridicule a person for having leg edema, why does the dysfunction have such negative connotations? Both are clinical signs and, therefore, reason for a medical visit and attention from a specialist.
Being vulnerable as a man is not bad
In this point, There is nothing left but to break a spear in favor of “vulnerability” and, to a certain extent, the deconstruction of classical masculinity Historically, we are taught that men should be strong, imposing, reluctant to talk about our feelings, and protective of the opposite sex. Luckily, current gender dynamics and identity spectrums are increasingly making us move forward as a society in this area, but there is still a lot of work to do.
Having a sexual problem is not a failure, but a clinical sign. It is not a question of masculinity or lack of manliness, but of a pathological condition either. When this event is normalized as part of a broader picture that must be treated (and the barriers of eminently masculine behavior are broken down), men will be more vocal with their problems and diseases can be detected before they become chronic.
