Reduce the burden, dig into the causes, increase confidence: Perspective on “Erectile dysfunction prevalence in the United States: report from the 2021 National Survey of Sexual Wellbeing”

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the most common male sexual health concerns, with significant impact on men’s quality of life and high social relevance. Yet, in real-life settings, its prevalence and associated distress remain frequently underestimated and difficult to summarize, as they largely depend on the variability of definitions, diagnostic criteria, study endpoints, and methodological approaches used in population-based studies. Although it is well established that ED rates increase with age and health comorbidities, recent public discourse has suggested a potential surge among younger men, often without robust empirical support. Moreover, other aspects of debate concern the proportion of men who do not seek medical help despite experiencing distress from ED, and whether barriers contribute to this phenomenon. This underscores the critical need for updated and methodologically data collection to accurately characterize ED prevalence across age groups and to evaluate associated clinical features. To this aim, the 2021 National Survey of Sexual Wellbeing by Mark et al.1 sought to corroborate this.