The medical treatment of erectile dysfunction

Attitudinal changes to human sexuality and changing concepts on the etiology of erectile dysfunction from psychogenic to organic etiologies have increased the basic and clinical research in the field of male erectile dysfunction. As a result of this intensive research and with the introduction of vasoactive drugs for intracavernosal injection, a higher percentage of men, and especially older men, seek treatment for erectile dysfunction. Today the most effective and most popular treatment is intracavernous injection therapy. We are now searching for treatments that will be easier to administer and will fulfill at least part of the 'ideal medical treatment' that should be effective, useful, free of toxicity, easy to administer and affordable. It is obvious that any successful medical treatment for erectile dysfunction requires a certain degree of integrity of the penile erectile mechanism. Therefore, any pharmacological treatment will be effective only in those patients in whom the physiologic components of the erectile process are either intact or only moderately affected by organic pathologic processes. It is our role as physicians to continue our basic and clinical research in the field of male sexual dysfunction. The availability of new medications or improvement in the administration routes of the currently used medications will attract more men to seek remedy for erectile dysfunction.