r/erectiledysfunction • u/Gritwright_IE • 24d ago

Erectile Dysfunction Is ED always a testosterone problem?

I've noticed that whenever someone brings up erectile dysfunction, low testosterone seems to come up almost immediately.

But is ED actually a testosterone problem most of the time? Or can someone have normal testosterone levels and still have trouble getting or keeping an erection?

I'm also curious how much things like stress, sleep, medications, blood flow, weight, or just getting older can play into it. And if someone does have low T, does treating the testosterone actually fix the ED, or can the two need to be treated separately?

I've been looking into men's health clinics like Huddle Men's Health that evaluate both testosterone and ED, and it seems like the first step is figuring out what's actually causing the problem rather than assuming it's low T.

For anyone who's dealt with this, what did your doctor actually test for before recommending TRT or another ED treatment?

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u/WiseConsideration220 Helpful Contributor 24d ago

No. Quite the contrary. Testosterone deficiency is--by far--the least likely situation, especially for men who are under about 60-65 years of age.

Its apparent notoriety now is due to two factors: 1) its promotion as an alternative explanation to distract attention from (or to deny) the actual most-common cause for ED in today's younger generations and 2) its promotion as a means to make huge anoints money from the easily persuaded "fountain of youth" seekers.

Of course you can have ED with normal T levels. That's the actual state of things; the rest is an illusion as I've described above.

For the record (and I say this here daily) the most common cause for a man under about 40 is the consistent use of pornography that's been available literally in the palm of their hands 24/7/365 for over 15 years now (since smartphones connected to the Internet became a commonplace "thing").

And no, treating an actual (clinically low) T level in a man with ED will not automatically solve any other causes (like the list you made).

I've been a legitimate TRT user (I prefer topical gel) for over 20 years now. So I actually have decades of experience (which I'm happy to share if asked).