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I’m 17 And Can’t Get An Erection
Posted on
Sun, 17 Mar 2019
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Sun, 17 Mar 2019
Answered on
Last reviewed on
Question : I’m 17 and can’t get an erection
Brief Answer:
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
To be able to provide you with information on what might be going on and what to do about it, I'll need more history from you. Can you please tell me:
1. Have you never been able to get an erection in your entire life?
2. When did this start (days, weeks, etc)?
3. Are you able to get an erection in the morning when you are sleeping/waking up?
4. Do you have diabetes or other health problems?
5. Is the problem only when you are with a partner, or also when you are trying to masturbate?
6. Are you having more stress and anxiety lately?
7. Do you start to get an erection and then have difficulty maintaining it?
Thanks, thorough answers to these will help.
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
To be able to provide you with information on what might be going on and what to do about it, I'll need more history from you. Can you please tell me:
1. Have you never been able to get an erection in your entire life?
2. When did this start (days, weeks, etc)?
3. Are you able to get an erection in the morning when you are sleeping/waking up?
4. Do you have diabetes or other health problems?
5. Is the problem only when you are with a partner, or also when you are trying to masturbate?
6. Are you having more stress and anxiety lately?
7. Do you start to get an erection and then have difficulty maintaining it?
Thanks, thorough answers to these will help.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Kampana
I have been able to get an erection until about 4 weeks ago. And I’m not sure why that is . I do have type 1 diabetes but was diagnosed in 2011. I haven’t had an erection in the morning in about 2 weeks. I have just started a new job but don’t feel stressed or anything and I’m finding it difficult to get an erection I guess I find it difficult maintaining it aswell
Brief Answer:
Information
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for this additional information. As you are not reporting having psychological issues (failure to perform, depression, major upheavals in your life), and particularly as you have not been having spontaneously occurring morning erections, the cause leans more to a physical problem than a psychological one.
People with Type 1 diabetes are at increased risk of erectile dysfunction due to problems with the small blood vessels and nerves from having elevated blood sugars over time. If the problem was mostly psychological or due to neurological habit (many young men have difficulty with ED when with a partner due to conditioning from masturbating frequently to pornography), then I would have behavioral suggestions to offer that might help. But as the problem is likely to be physical, I recommend you go in to see your doctor for evaluation of the underlying medical cause. It may be that you need to keep your blood sugars under tighter control. The good news is that the phosphodiesterase inhibitors such as Viagra, can help. In the US, these are by prescription only - I don't know the legal situation in the UK and whether you need a prescription there. But regardless, I think you should have your A1C blood sugar test done and an exam to see what might be going on.
I hope this information gives you a place to start.
Information
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for this additional information. As you are not reporting having psychological issues (failure to perform, depression, major upheavals in your life), and particularly as you have not been having spontaneously occurring morning erections, the cause leans more to a physical problem than a psychological one.
People with Type 1 diabetes are at increased risk of erectile dysfunction due to problems with the small blood vessels and nerves from having elevated blood sugars over time. If the problem was mostly psychological or due to neurological habit (many young men have difficulty with ED when with a partner due to conditioning from masturbating frequently to pornography), then I would have behavioral suggestions to offer that might help. But as the problem is likely to be physical, I recommend you go in to see your doctor for evaluation of the underlying medical cause. It may be that you need to keep your blood sugars under tighter control. The good news is that the phosphodiesterase inhibitors such as Viagra, can help. In the US, these are by prescription only - I don't know the legal situation in the UK and whether you need a prescription there. But regardless, I think you should have your A1C blood sugar test done and an exam to see what might be going on.
I hope this information gives you a place to start.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Kampana
Answered by
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