Prevalence of erectile dysfunction and its treatment in a Mexican population: distinguishing between erectile function change and dysfunction

Abstract

Background Little is known about erectile dysfunction (ED) prevalence and treatment in Mexico, particularly since the few existing studies on this topic have failed to distinguish between sexual changes that men understood as dysfunction versus normal change. We determined the prevalence of general erectile function change, change that met the experiential criteria for classification as ED, and treatment seeking in 40–60 year old men with access to the Instituto Méxicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Methods A total of 750 participants were asked about their health, sexual changes, and whether they considered these changes to be a medical issue. Participants with ED completed a self-administered survey assessing sexual changes and their life effects, as well as treatment seeking. Results Of the participants, 50.3% reported changes in sexual function. However, only 59.8% of those men saw those changes as a medical issue; thus, ED prevalence was 29.7%. Most ED sufferers had not talked with a doctor, although almost half had tried an ED treatment. Men were more likely to use alternative treatments than medical treatments, and medical treatment users were likely to discontinue use. Conclusions The differences in ED prevalence found by our, and comparable, studies confirm the importance of distinguishing between erectile changes that men see as normal versus changes that meet the criteria for classification as ED (‘insufficient’ erection for ‘satisfactory’ intercourse, as assessed by the patient). Failing to make this distinction can inflate measurements of ED prevalence, potentially hampering public health management of this problem.