"Doctor, recently...I have some...difficulties."

Sexual function issues have always been a topic that people are afraid to talk about. In the past, this kind of problem mainly occurred in middle-aged and elderly people, but recently it has shown a trend among younger people. According to statistics from the Hong Kong Andrology Association: As many as 5 to 10% of Hong Kong men aged between 18 and 25 are troubled by erectile dysfunction. The results of a large-scale European study show that up to one-third of men aged 18 to 40 have experienced or are currently experiencing standing problems. Therefore, if you have encountered this problem, you are definitely not alone. Many academic studies have shown that problems with standing function not only affect men's emotions, but also affect the relationship between the sexes and destroy family harmony. Social psychologists have found that people who have been troubled by standing problems for a long time tend to lack self-confidence, reduce social activities, generally have lower job income, have tense relationships between the sexes, and have higher rates of affairs and marital breakdown. And the younger the condition occurs, the higher the correlation. Therefore, the erect problem of young men is an issue that must be paid attention to.

Do I have orthostatic dysfunction?

The most convenient and commonly used method to assess whether there is erectile dysfunction is to use the IIEF (International Index of Erectile Function) scale. The far left end of each indicator is 0 points, and the far right end is 5 points. The sum of the scores of these indicators is the performance of your upright function. The full score is 25 points. When the score is lower than 21 points, it indicates that there may be orthostatic dysfunction.

Is there a relationship between orthostatic dysfunction and masturbation during adolescence?

This is a question that almost every patient asks during their doctor visit. The answer is clear: it doesn't matter!

In traditional Chinese society, there is a widespread concept that "masturbation is harmful to the body." Many parents will even scare teenagers: "If you masturbate, you will not be able to have an erection in the future." But in fact, from the perspective of urologists, moderate masturbation is not only harmless, but helps promote physical and mental health. In advanced countries in Europe and the United States, standing problems caused by surgery or spinal trauma are even considered important rehabilitation courses.

What causes problems with standing upright in young people?

Most of young people's standing problems are caused by psychological factors, but in diagnosis and treatment, we must first rule out whether there are physiological problems. Physiological diseases related to erectile dysfunction include diabetes, hypertension, abnormal liver function, abnormal thyroid function, and endocrine abnormalities caused by pituitary gland tumors. These organic diseases may lead to erectile dysfunction. In addition, some psychological factors, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcohol or drug dependence, may also be the cause of difficulty standing upright.

Even if physical problems are excluded, unhealthy lifestyle is the main factor affecting orthostatic function, including smoking, alcohol abuse, staying up late, over-tiring work, long-term mental stress, etc.

After excluding physical problems, we also need to pay attention to psychological factors, such as male-female relationship problems, husband-wife relationship problems, financial pressure, or changes in life or work, etc. Young men also often worry about their performance and care too much about their partner's feelings, which puts excessive pressure on themselves, which in turn leads to abnormal erectile function.