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Setting up a doctor’s appointment

Erection Problems? Find out more about the medical examination and the ED questions they might ask at your doctor’s appointment.

To prescribe the right treatment, your doctor will need to know more about you and what you're going through.

They'll ask you a bit about your medical and sexual history and they may also perform a physical exam. This includes checking for any conditions that might be causing your erection problems, such as high blood pressure, liver or kidney disease, heart disease or thyroid problems.

At a later date, they may also want to do a blood test to check your testosterone level. If it's low, they could advise you take a testosterone replacement - to give your libido a boost.

What will they ask at my doctor’s appointment?

This will, of course, vary from doctor to doctor, but there are some things they all need to know to make a proper diagnosis. Below are some examples of what you might expect:

ED Questions About the problem

  • Did it start suddenly or happen over time?
  • Is there a particular event that triggered it?
  • Are the erection problems happening all the time, or only some of the time?
  • If you've got more than one partner, does it happen with all of them or only one?

Questions About your penis

  • Do you get hard with stimulation?
  • Do you wake up with an erection?
  • When you get an erection, is it hard enough to have sex?
  • Does your erection last long enough for you to reach an orgasm?
Doctor’s Appointment
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Questions about your erection

  • Have you felt any pain?
  • Is there any unusual curvature when you have an erection?

About your lifestyle

  • Do you smoke or take drugs?
  • Do you drink alcohol? If so, how much?
  • Do you get much exercise?

About your health

  • Have you had surgery?
  • Do you have diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure or high cholesterol?
  • Are you on any medication?

How's your mental state?

  • Are you stressed out or feeling depressed?
  • Is this problem making you feel stressed?

About your relationship

  • Is your partner interested in getting your normal sex life back again?

What happens next?

Your doctor will talk you through the sort of lifestyle changes and therapies they think will work and prescribe medication - if they think you need it.

At the appointment, you could invite your partner along with you. A lot of doctors recommend this, as if the two of you are communicating well, it can be easier to solve the problem together. But the most important thing is that you feel comfortable, so do what feels best for you.