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What Is Erectile Dysfunction?

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Before researching into what erectile dysfunction is, and how it came to be known as a condition; it is first important to understand the concept of medicalization. Medicalization is simply, “a process by which a nonmedical problem becomes defined and treated as a medical problem, usually in terms of illness and disorders” (Conrad 2007:4). Medicalization has been studied by sociologists since the 1960’s and there was a heavy focus on understanding the medicalization of deviance; which are disorders that are contested in having a defect in the normally functioning human that create the disorder (Conrad 2007). Conrad (2007), characterizes some of these disorders as alcoholism, addiction, sexual dysfunction, eating disorders, PMS, and ADHD. This …show more content…

Studies have concluded that some men suffer from erectile dysfunction and the incidence rate is about 36 cases per 1000 men; and that the rate would increase as the men got older (Johannes, Araujo, Feldman, Derby, Kleinman & McKinlay 2000). However, much of the research suggests that erectile dysfunction also occurs in men that have diabetes, heart disease, being dissatisfied with their sex life, and lower urinary tract symptoms (Braun et al. 2000; Johannes et al. 2000). This indicates that erectile dysfunction is not necessarily a disorder on its own whereby treatment is to have medical intervention to help the genitals function correctly; but that it could merely be a symptom of other medical diseases and if those conditions are treated that the man may no longer have erectile dysfunction. Thus, the medicalization of erectile dysfunction is largely constructed by dominant notions of masculinity; rather than there being a true medical condition of having a man’s penis not function correctly. There is also little attention or focus to the fact that the above conditions, and disorders can cause males to not being able to function sexually (Braun et al. 2000). It also does not account for any psychological reasons that a male not being able to perform sexually such as: stress, anxiety, depression, hormonal issues, pressure to perform sexually, etc. Possible underlying …show more content…

The process of medicalization is used to describe how disorders with no underlying medical cause have been created; and have medicinal treatment. This paper has argued that the medicalization of erectile dysfunction has occurred because it threatens males’ masculinity. It has been shown that there is a strong association in western culture between being masculine and having a fully performing genital. There are ideas within society that a male’s penis represents a man’s struggle between themselves and their sexuality; and that an erect genital represents success, health, and fertility. When a man is not able to have a fully erect genital; it threatens their own notion of masculinity. The medicinal companies also portray sexual dysfunction as being a threat to masculinity. Men in erectile dysfunction drug advertisements are shown as being sexually inefficient and as a minority in comparison to other men. In order to regain their masculinity and sexual ability, they must take a drug that will allow them to have a fully erect genital to satisfy their love ones and be like the other men. It has also been argued that erectile dysfunction is a medical disorder and that it affects about 26 of 1000 men. However, it was shown that the majority of men that were found to experience erectile dysfunction were also suffering from other medical

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