u/stoigue

For seven years, from the very beginning of my sex life, I struggled with erectile dysfunction. I had dozens and dozens of failed sexual experiences, tried pretty much every ED medication available, saw three urologists and around ten different doctors, and spent years obsessively trying to fix the problem.

I changed my lifestyle in every way I could think of. I exercised, cleaned up my diet, experimented with vitamins and supplements, tried to reduce my exposure to endocrine disruptors, improved my sleep, you name it. I honestly couldn't list everything I've tried over the years. Finding a solution became an obsession.

Eventually, I became convinced that a penile implant was my only option. One urologist even agreed and told me I was a good candidate if I wanted to move forward.

Looking back now, I'm incredibly grateful that I didn't do it.

About five months ago, I met my girlfriend.

From our very first conversations, I was honest about my ED. Instead of making me feel ashamed, she made me feel completely safe. There was no pressure to perform, no judgment, and we approached the problem together. We experimented, communicated openly, and found what worked for us. Stopping condoms also made a noticeable difference.

Today, I have what I would consider a normal and fulfilling sex life.

I still have occasional issues getting fully hard, probably around one out of every four or 5 times we have sex. But it no longer ruins the experience, and it no longer defines my life. I believe my ED was never purely physical or purely psychological. It was a combination of both, and many years of prone masturbation was maybe the cause.

I'm not posting this to tell anyone not to get an implant. I know penile implants completely change some men's lives, especially those with severe organic ED, and I have nothing but respect for that decision.

I'm only sharing this for people who are in the same position I was: younger men who are wondering whether they should jump to an implant after years of frustration.

If you haven't yet experienced a stable, supportive relationship where your partner knows about your ED, doesn't judge you, and is willing to work through it with you, I personally think it's worth giving yourself that chance before making an irreversible decision.

I'm incredibly thankful that I waited long enough to discover that before going through with surgery.

Hello everyone,

For seven years, starting from the very beginning of my (M26) sex life, I struggled with erectile dysfunction.

I can't even count how many failed sexual experiences I had. Dozens and dozens. Every failure hurt me, and I at a certain point I genuinely believed I would never have a normal sex life.

I tried pretty much every ED medication available. Some helped a little, most didn't make a real difference. I saw three urologists and around ten different doctors looking for answers. I did a Doppler scan. At one point, I became so desperate that I seriously considered getting a penile implant (you can maybe find some of my older posts about this on this subreddit). One of the urologists told me last year that I was a reasonable candidate and gave me the green light if I wanted to go through with it.

On top of that, I spent years trying to optimize every aspect of my lifestyle. I exercised regularly, cleaned up my diet, experimented with different vitamins and supplements, tried to reduce my exposure to endocrine disruptors, improved my sleep, and made countless other changes that I hoped would help. I honestly couldn't list everything I've tried over the years. The point is that I wasn't sitting around waiting for things to magically improve, I spent years actively searching for solutions.

Five months ago, everything changed.

I met my girlfriend.

From the very beginning, after our first intercourse, I was completely honest with her about my ED. Instead of judging me or making me feel embarrassed, she made me feel safe and reassured me that we would figure it out together. There was never any pressure to perform, and we approached it as a team, trying different things and finding what worked for us.

One thing that also made a surprisingly big difference was eventually stopping the use of condoms. I know that's not an option for everyone and it should only be done safely, but in our case it noticeably improved things.

Being with someone I trust, someone who doesn't judge me, and someone with whom I feel completely comfortable has completely changed my sex life. I won't pretend I'm exactly like every other guy. Even today, I still have occasional issues getting fully hard, probably around one out of every four times we have sex. But it absolutely doesn't stop us from having a satisfying sex life. Overall, my sex life is now genuinely fulfilling.

I'm writing this because I know there are people here who are in the same situation I was.

If you're stuck in a cycle of one-night stands, hookups, or constantly trying with new partners and it never works, don't automatically assume your situation is hopeless.

In my case, I don't think it was ever 100% psychological or 100% physical. It was probably a combination of both. Some physical factors made erections more difficult, I did prone masturbation for many years when I was young (don't do that or stop it now). Once I found the right partner and took away the pressure, everything was vetter, but not because the physical side suddenly vanished overnight.

Before making irreversible decisions like getting a penile implant or loosing hope, make sure you've also given yourself the chance to experience sex with someone who makes you feel safe, accepted, and genuinely comfortable. For me, that made all the difference.

I know this won't be everyone's story, and I'm not saying this is a cure for ED. But if my experience gives even one person a little hope before making a life-changing decision, then it's worth sharing.

I thought it was important to notice you of a success story, I think many folks that postes on this sub don't have any problem anymore but don't take the time to testify.

Good luck to you all, don't lose hope.