How Do I Talk with my Doctor?
The subject is inherently sensitive to talk about and therefore many are reluctant to seek help from doctors. However, if all of those suffering from ED knew how common the problem is and that general practitioners, urologists and other specialized doctors often daily encounter patients with erectile dysfunction, it would certainly help.
Given that 90% of all those who seek help can be treated, regardless of the underlying reason, there is no reason to wait. We strongly recommend that you contact your GP or another doctor. There is help!
Resolve to have both you and your partner seek professional help. A great deal of information can be found on the Internet concerning treatments for men with impaired sexual performance. Various pills for treating erectile dysfunction can also be ordered from online, but these may be fake drugs that do not contain the active ingredients that the real drugs do, so beware.
How to Get Professional Help, Step-by-step:
Where to Turn:
Consider whether you want to talk to a female or male doctor and choose one to see. Then, make an appointment with a specialist or urologist at your nearest health clinic, medical center, or private doctor’s office.
You do not need a referral to see a family doctor at the nearest medical center, a private doctor, or company doctor. To see a hospital urologist or other specialist,
you will first need a referral by a general practitioner. If you choose to go to a private general practitioner or private urologist, no referral is needed. Unfortunately, the majority of private doctors in big cities require a referral so it may be worthwhile seeing a doctor in a smaller town.
If the problem is more about you and your partner’s relationship, you might instead want to speak with a sexologist. You can find these in the Yellow Pages under the heading “Sex and relationship advice”, or under “Psychologists – Licensed “.
If you live in a small town, you might want to maintain anonymity. In this case, you may want to book an appointment with a doctor at another location. Directory assistance can give you phone numbers.
You can also receive an updated list of doctors throughout the country who are themselves registered as willing to accept patients with ED.
How to Make an Appointment, Step-by-step
What to do in practical terms:
Call and make an appointment. Many doctors and clinics are open certain hours for appointments. On Mondays, it may be difficult to get through, so please try again during the week.
If you have problems talking about the problem with the nurse that you book an appointment with, you can just say you want to have a general health checkup, or that you do not want to state why you are making an appointment. You have no obligation to say why you want to see the doctor at the time of the reservation.
Talk to your partner and decide if you should go alone or with them to the doctor.
Answer the questions found in the ‘Psychology of Erectile Dysfunction‘ article (under the subheading entitled Questions to Ask Yourself) and take it with you during the visit. If you have trouble talking about the problem, you can simply hand over the list to the doctor and say, “This is what I need to talk about.”
Ask the doctor to tell you more about available treatments.
Make an appointment for a return visit when you have finished. On the return visit, you can follow up on how the form of treatment has worked. If the drug you used didn’t work, you can ask the doctor to change prescriptions, or increase the dose.
What Happens at the Doctor?
When you see your doctor, he or she is likely to investigate. This is simple and is based primarily on an interview where the doctor asks about your medical history and when and how the erection problems occur. Other health issues are also discussed such as if there are any underlying diseases and if you take any medicines. Sometimes, there is a questionnaire that you fill out to describe the problem.
A health assessment is then made to exclude any of the diseases and risk factors previously mentioned. It is common for the doctor to test blood sugar and blood fats, measure blood pressure and, sometimes, take samples of male sex hormones (testosterone). Do not hesitate to tell the doctor if you have problems getting or maintaining an erection. Try to provide as accurate of information as possible. The doctor will then probably propose a treatment which suits you.
Questions You Can Expect from Your Doctor:
- When did erectile dysfunction begin?
- Do you sometimes acquire an erection at night (nocturnal erection) or in the morning?
- Do you take any medications for high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, edema (water retention), or prostate problems?
- Is there diabetes, cardiac and vascular, or neurological diseases in the family?
- Are you stressed, anxious or depressed?
- Are you in a relationship and, if so, for how long?
It may seem odd to talk to a doctor about erectile dysfunction, but think about how the doctor talks to patients about this on a regular basis.