Historically, erectile dysfunction has been seen as a problem for men that are “over the hill.” The common conception is that the erection just drops dead after fifty, and there’s nothing you can do about it. But the truth is that hitting a certain age does not guarantee ED; in fact, if a man makes healthy choices and lives well, he might not ever develop erectile issues. But ED isn’t just a problem for men in their golden years, either; in fact, it’s becoming increasingly commonplace for men in there twenties to develop the issue.
At one time, ED among younger men was a criminally under reported issue, but in recent years men have begun to speak out about their erectile issues at a young age. While its true that ED is much more commonplace among older men (case in point, research by the National Institute of Health has found that 75 percent of men over 75 has ED), the amount of younger men afflicted with the problem has begun to climb (with a recent report citing that ED affects 5 percent of men between the ages of 20 and 39.)
So what has caused is causing erectile dysfunction in younger men? Experts attribute the rise to a variety of factors: More stress at work and at home, a rise in depression, drug and alcohol dependence, and rising obesity numbers have all been pinpointed as ED causes among the young.
So, yes, it is very possible to develop ED in your twenties. If you are a young man and you consistently struggle to achieve an erection, speak with your doctor. Work together to get to the root of the problem and, with hard work, you should be able to overcome this issue and get your sex life back on track.