Prevalence of ED

ED is defined as the persistent inability to attain and maintain an erection sufficient to permit satisfactory sexual performance.

It can be a very common disorder and can occur at any age but is more common in older men.

• ED affects up to 4.3 million men across the UK¹, it can occur in all ages including younger males however the incidence rate does increase with age, with 12.4 cases per 1000 men aged 40-49 years of age, 29.8 men per 1000 aged 50-59 years, and 46.4 men per 1000 aged 60-69².
• Can affect physical, emotional and psychosocial health of the sufferer, having a significant affect on that person’s quality of life and that of their partner.
• Medical treatments are available, which with the help of lifestyle measures, can help with erectile dysfunction issues.
• Viagra (sildenafil) was first launched in 1998 as the first oral treatment for erectile dysfunction.
• The Viagra patent expired in 2014, opening up a market for generic sildenafil, enabling doctors to be able to provide more cost-effective treatment for ED and to a wider portion of the population.  This also meant the price of private PGD services came down making the service more accessible to customers.

^{1 King's college London - The global prevalence of erectile dysfunction}

^{2 NICE - Erectile Dysfunction}