
Does erectile dysfunction impact productivity at work?
Globally, erectile dysfunction affects a significant percentage of men. A recent industry-funded study takes data from eight countries and asks whether the condition might reduce productivity at work.
Doctors define erectile dysfunction (ED) as an inability to achieve or maintain an erection that is sufficient for sex.
Although calculating its prevalence is challenging, ED is estimated to impact more than half of men aged 40–70.
Worryingly, it appears to be growing more common. According to one study, in 1995, ED affected 152 million men, globally. By 2025, the study authors predict that this figure will more than double to 322 million.
As ED becomes more common, researchers are keen to understand how it might affect the population at large.
The authors of the most recent study to investigate this issue focused on "work productivity loss, activity impairment, and health‐related quality of life."
Their study took data from eight countries: Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The researchers recently published their findings in The International Journal of Clinical Practice.