British men too stressed to perform in the bedroom

British men say they are too stressed, overworked and drink too much to get an erection, according to a shock new survey.

 

Half (50%) of British guys in their thirties admit they are struggling in the bedroom – but many say they would rather split from their other half than discuss their problems.

 

Forty-two per cent of men in Wales surveyed said they had experienced difficulty in getting or maintaining an erection, with 41% saying this was due to stress.

 

Nearly half (43%) of men aged 18-60 across the UK are suffering impotence, with four in ten men blaming stress, followed by tiredness (36%), anxiety (29%) and boozing too heavily (26%)*.

 

Researchers polled 2,000 men for Coop Pharmacy [1], which is launching a social media campaign – #Whatdoyoucallit – in a bid to stamp out the stigma of impotence.

 

TV doctor Hilary Jones said: “Anything the #Whatdoyoucallit campaign can do to smash the stigma around erectile dysfunction has got to be a step in the right direction.”

 

The research has revealed that – for men in Wales – :

 

• 42% of men have experienced difficulty in getting or maintain

an erection

 

• 43% of men say that this is a regular occurrence (half of

sexual encounters or more)

 

• 41% of men say this difficulty is because of stress

 

• When asked about the effect it had on them, 84% of men say

that they feel embarrassed, 61% of men say they feel insecure and 29% of men say they feel less masculine

 

• 43% of men say they would feel unable or uncomfortable to

discuss their erectile dysfunction with their GPs or other health professionals

 

The survey of 2,000 men was carried out by Atomik Research as Britain becomes the first country in the world to sell Viagra over the counter without a prescription.

 

A third (33%) of men aged 18-60 surveyed say they have not told anyone about their erectile dysfunction.

 

Only 28% have gone to their GP and just nine percent have discussed it with another man in the family.

 

Forty-three percent of those affected by impotence say they could not discuss the issue with friends and 23% would feel uncomfortable discussing it with a GP.

 

An incredible 27% of men say they would rather break up with their partner than talk to their GP about being unable to get an erection.

 

A quarter (24%) of men said they felt unable to talk to their partners about erectile dysfunction and 22% said it has led to a breakup.

 

And nearly half (49%) of men said they would rather send their partner to collect Viagra on their behalf.

 

In addition, 19% of men affected in their 30s have bought Viagra obtained it from a source other than their GP or registered online service, in comparison to 10% of men in their 40s.

 

Forty-three percent of those affected by impotence say they could not discuss the issue with friends and 23% would feel uncomfortable discussing it with a GP.

 

Coop Pharmacies is launching its #Whatdoyoucallit campaign – to highlight the fact that whatever word men choose to use to refer to their penis, there should not be any shame about it, they should feel good about it.

 

Dr Hilary Jones said: “Erectile dysfunction is a taboo in our society that needs to be broken.

 

“In an age when many people are happy to share intimate details of their lives on social media, it is a huge cause for concern that men today do not feel confident enough to discuss openly their struggles with impotence.”

 

“Anything the #Whatdoyoucallit campaign can do to smash the stigma around erectile dysfunction has got to be a step in the right direction.”

 

Adrian Wilkinson at Coop Pharmacy said: “The results of the survey clearly show that erectile dysfunction is something that’s having a huge impact on almost half of the male population in the UK.

 

“It’s with this in mind that we want to de-stigmatise any negative misconceptions and start talking about impotence and normalising it, to help men feel good, know they’re not alone and know they’re not being judged.

 

“We don’t want men to resort to splitting up with their partners, especially now Viagra Connect is available over the counter in pharmacies and online too, so men can access this product themselves, easily, conveniently and, if they’re concerned, discreetly.

 

“As a society, we need to start talking about issues, especially those having such an impact on almost half the male population in the UK, and men shouldn’t feel shame, guilt, embarrassment, insecure, or depressed because of a medical condition. Especially one that can be easily rectified with Viagra connect.”

 

Half (50%) of all men questioned said they felt stressed at least once a week, with 52% of those blaming stress on work.

 

60% of men who say they feel stressed most days have erectile difficulties, compared to 23% that rarely feel stressed and just 19% who never feel stressed.

 

Staying late at the office also affects men’s performance in bed, with 57% of those who work late most days having problems compared to 32% that never have to work late.

 

65% of men who drink too much alcohol (six or more units in a single

session) more than three times a week experience difficulties, but just 33% that never drink too much have problems.

 

The survey showed nearly three in ten (29%) of men aged between 30-39 felt depressed after suffering impotence.

 

Three quarters (75%) of men aged 18-60 questioned who feel pressurised to start a family or have more kids said they experienced erectile dysfunction.

 

Adrian added: “Our findings demonstrate that factors such as stress, anxiety and even drinking too much can be linked to impotence but it’s also important to note that erectile disfunction could also be a symptom of other medical conditions such as early onset of vascular disease or diabetes so we’d urge anyone with concerns to book an appointment with their GP and just start talking.”

 

Get involved with the conversation and start talking about the issue by following www.facebook.com/cooppharmacycoop [2] and #Whatdoyoucallit.

 

*Please note: Impotence may also be linked to early onset vascular disease or other medical conditions. Anyone concerned should consult their GP.