While erection difficulties are increasingly common after the age of 50, they are certainly not inevitable, according to an AARP report. The association cites the results of a landmark University of Chicago study, which found that roughly one-third of all men between the ages of 50 and 64 suffer from ED. Among men between the ages of 65 and 85, the incidence of ED jumps to 44 percent, according to the University of Chicago study. This latter statistic offers some encouragement for older Americans, because it indicates that more than half of elderly men manage to escape the frustration and embarrassment of ED.
However, once you’ve reached the age of 50, you’re likely to experience certain changes in the nature of your erections, according to AARP. Sexual fantasies may no longer be sufficient to trigger erections, and direct fondling may be needed to achieve erection. Also, erections tend to rise more slowly and are not as rock-hard as they were in your younger years.