ED or erectile dysfunction refers to the difficulty faced by a man in getting or keeping an erection that’s firm enough to last through sex. But this is not a single stance incident. If this happens as a recurring pattern, then you can term this as ED.

While many would love to say this is not a problem at all, and there are alternatives around it, the fact is that for most men, this is a problem! We don’t have sex on our own, that is if we are not referring to self-pleasure or masturbation. We have it with a partner, and the sexual intercourse part of sex does involve the penis! So not being able to get an erection or not being able to hold it for long enough to have proper sexual intercourse can be mentally stressful for both the partners.

But the good news is that this condition can be easily treated, and most treatments do work. So assuming one is facing the problem of erectile dysfunction, is it the end of one’s sex life?

Absolutely not. The reasons are simple. For one, you can get a cure for ED quickly and second, you can enjoy sex differently altogether. There can be lots of touching, kissing, oral sex, pleasure play involved which would satisfy you both, till the time this problem gets solved.

Additionally, always keep in mind that many women blame themselves if they find their man has ED. They might feel that they are not attractive enough to induce an erection in him, or he is not attracted to her anymore. They may try too hard to arouse their partner, not knowing arousal has actually nothing to do with erectile dysfunction! This, at times, leads to a drift in the relationship.

So let's face it, ED is a problem and needs to be worked upon. What is important is to communicate with your partner about the issue, honestly and openly. With her support, this issue can be worked upon, the right way.

So what causes ED? Well, some physical and psychological factors can be attributed to erectile dysfunction. While the physical elements are heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol and obesity, the common psychological factors are stress, anxiety and depression.

Leading a healthy lifestyle, eating well, exercising, meditating, quitting smoking and heavy drinking are some of the ways in which you can prevent ED. So to sum it up, it’s good to accept erectile dysfunction as a problem, but not to consider it as the end of your sex life.

You and your partner can still give each other a great deal of sexual pleasure and stimulation as long as you can communicate well and understand each other's needs!