Men's Health

Difficulties with erections

There are two common problems gay men experience with erections:

Difficulty getting an erection
Difficulty maintaining an erection

Nearly half of all gay men say that they’ve had problems getting or keeping erections at some time or another. It’s nothing to be ashamed about, and often the problem is more about our high expectations of ourselves. As gay men, we’ve grown up with stereotypes that say we should always be ready for sex, when the truth is, sometimes erections just don’t do exactly what we want them to do.

Not being able to get or keep an erection might be due to many different things. It might be anxiety or worry, it might be that you’re really not that attracted to the guy you’re with, or maybe you’re really stressed about something else. When it’s an ongoing problem, it might be erectile dysfunction or impotence. Even though it could be embarrassing, the best thing to do is to see a gay-friendly doctor and discuss it with them. There are real solutions out there, from counselling through to pharmaceuticals.