Talking About Impotence With Your Doctor

Impotence is a common condition in which you either cannot achieve an erection or you can’t keep your penis erect for long enough to achieve satisfactory sexual intercourse. Most men suffer from impotence, at some point in their life, as it can commonly be caused by anxiety, stress, tiredness and too much alcohol. However, if you experience this problem on a regular basis, it is very important that you seek professional medical advice from a doctor.

Visiting a doctor

You may feel embarrassed or scared of going to see a doctor about your impotence problem. However, impotence is a fairly common problem and for medical staff, treating patients with impotence has become a routine matter. If you're using the National Health Service (NHS), you might be interested in reading further information here.

If you still feel uncomfortable visiting your doctor, it’s best to plan what you are going to say to your doctor in advance, and pay particular attention to what terms you are going to use to express your problem. If you’re struggling, it’s best to express yourself simply and clearly and to avoid using innuendo.

Impotence diagnosis

Discussing your impotence problem

Once you have approached your doctor to talk about your problem, they may ask you some questions about your sex life to clarify the severity of your condition. They will ask you whether you can achieve an erection at all, and if so, whether it is hard enough to penetrate your partner or does your erection often goes away during intercourse? They might also ask, if you lose your erection half way through, do you get it back again? They will follow these questions with a set of specific personal questions about your lifestyle. It's very important to answer the questions as honestly as possible. Remember that anything you say to a doctor remains private and confidential.

Physical examination

Your doctor will conduct a physical examination to check for any bodily disorders that may be the underlying cause of your problem. You doctor will need to perform a full genital examination with their hands. The doctor may also be required to perform a rectal examination as well.

Next, your doctor will check the possibility that you may have a nerve disorder. To check for this the doctor will need to test your reflexes. This will include testing to see what you can feel, such as a pin prick or cotton wool applied to your skin.

Routine testing

You may also need to complete a few additional tests as well as your physical examination. Your doctor might check your blood pressure and ask for a urine sample. A high sugar presence in your urine would indicate that you may have problems with your kidneys, which can be an underlying cause of impotence. Your doctor may also take a blood sample to eliminate the possibility that you have diabetes, as this is a common cause of male impotence. Studies have shown that as many as 35% to 75% of men who have diabetes consequently suffer from impotence.

What next?

Once your doctor has drawn conclusions from your test results they should be able to diagnose the cause of your problem. Impotence in most cases can be treated with prescription medication, such as Viagra, or with appropriate counselling.

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