ED: Not Man’s Best Friend

Erectile Dysfunction is more common than people may think, but there is hope

By Jamil Abdur-Rahman, M.D., FACOG
BlackDoctor.org / TwinDoctorsTV

Let’s talk for a minute about our old buddy ED. ED is the kind of guy that is always dropping in, showing up at the most inopportune times, unannounced and uninvited. Though no one is a big fan of ED, the reality is that lots and lots of people want to learn more about ED. You know, just in case he should drop in one day, unannounced and uninvited.

So who is, or better yet, what is ED? ED is more appropriately known by his common name, “Erectile Dysfunction.” The name erectile dysfunction really doesn’t have much of a ring to it though, and quite frankly it even sounds a little bit threatening and ominous. So most folks just call erectile dysfunction “ED.”

What Is ED?

ED is a condition that affects a man’s ability to both achieve and maintain a healthy erection. Though not a lot of folks talk openly about ED, the reality is that Erectile Dysfunction is a surprising common occurrence among American men. In fact, just over 1 in 5 American men will at some point in their life time suffer from ED. While this 1 in 5 figure is in and of itself shocking, African American men are at an even higher risk still for a visit from ED. In fact, close to 1 in 4 African American men will at some point in their life time suffer from ED.

ED occurs when the blood flow to the penis has been compromised. Under normal circumstances, a healthy erection will result when there is a temporary increase in the flow of blood to the penis after sexual arousal. At the same time that there is this increased flow of blood into the penis, there is a simultaneous decrease in the flow of blood out of the penis. As a result, the penis fills and swells with blood; growing in both length and width as it fills ultimately causing an erection. Article Continues Here.