Erectile dysfunction (ED) or impotence can cause distress due to the fact that men cannot maintain or get an erection in order to satisfy both partners during sex.
ED is not uncommon and can be caused by stress, health issues or emotional difficulties, which may need to be dealt with by a professional. Now, a study has also linked erectile dysfunction to lower productivity at work and a lower quality of life.
The study, published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice studied more than 52 000 men, with ages ranging from 40 to 70 in Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Erectile dysfunction prevalence was 49.7% overall, with Italy having the highest rate with 54.7%. Results also revealed that:
- 7.1% of men with ED reported significantly higher rates of absence from work, versus 3.2% of men without ED.
- 22.5% of men with ED had higher rates of working while they were sick, versus 10.1% of men without ED.
- 24.8% of men with ED reported higher rates of work productivity impairment, versus 11.2% of men without ED.
- 28.6% of men had higher activity impairment, versus 14.5% of men without ED.
Tarek Hassan, senior author said, "Stemming from eight countries, the global coverage of the data also suggests that this issue is pervasive across geographies." Co-author Wing Yu Tang added: "This study shows that ED remains a prevalent concern, one that impacts work productivity and absenteeism."
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