Erectile dysfunction, a dysfunction also known as impotence, is the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis in order to engage in satisfactory sexual intercourse. This is a rather textbook definition that can be hard on the ears of many people. Basically, erectile dysfunction means that men suffering from it cannot get hard or cannot last enough to actually have sex with their partners. This issue has long been considered unfit for polite conversation, due to its private nature, which turned it into a favorite topic for urban legends and jokes. 

The situation changed in the 1930s, when doctor John Brinkley began advertising certain so-called cures for male impotence using the popular medium of the day: the radio. The second wave of hype was triggered in the ‘90s by the advertising campaign surrounding the launching of Viagra. The promise of a quick fix that would make impotence history was used to bring erectile dysfunction into the mainstream discourse and to dispel some of the shame surrounding this issue.

The main causes behind erectile dysfunction are usually diseases and the appearance of this problem in otherwise healthy males could indicate the two biggest threats to the male sex life: cardiovascular diseases or diabetes. Cardiovascular diseases affect the flow of blood through the body and also the heart, the biological pump that keeps blood flowing inside you. Since erection is based on the flow of blood into the two sponge-like tissues known as corpora cavernosa, this means that any condition affecting the cardiovascular system will also affect erections.

The chronic forms of diabetes are also known to cause impotence as parts of the nervous system collapse, including the nerves responsible for communication between the brain and the penis. However, people suffering from diabetes who are careful enough not to let the disease reach a chronic condition can often avoid erectile dysfunction.

The last big cause for erectile dysfunction is a decrease in the level of hormones produced by the testes, also known as hypogonadism. The low hormone production is detrimental not only to the sex life of the person affected, but also to fertility. Hypogonadism is caused by defects of the gonads or by defects in the hypothalamus or the pituitary gland.

Shame and priggishness aside, many cases of erectile dysfunction can actually be treated. Of course, the treatment depends on the causes of this dysfunction. With the newly found public awareness regarding this issue, it is hoped that more research will soon find a cure for this dysfunction.