When Should I See an Erectile Dysfunction Doctor?
So you’re having trouble getting or keeping an erection. Who you gonna call? *Cue Ghostbusters theme song.*
You’ll want to connect with an ED (erectile dysfunction) doctor — but there are many types of doctors that can treat erectile dysfunction.
To get started with ED treatment, talk to your primary care provider (PCP) or get in touch with a healthcare professional online. If needed, they’ll refer you to a specialist, such as an endocrinologist (a doctor who treats hormone-related conditions) or a mental health professional, depending on what’s causing your ED.
Keep reading to learn how to find the best erectile dysfunction doctor for you and what your treatment options are.
Which Doctors Can Treat Erectile Dysfunction?
You’re not short on options when it comes to erectile dysfunction doctors.
General practitioners can diagnose erectile dysfunction and may get you started on treatment. If needed, they can also refer you to the right specialist for further tests or treatment.
General Doctors Who Treat Erectile Dysfunction
If you don’t know what doctor to see for ED, start with your primary care provider or an online healthcare provider.
Your Primary Care Provider
Yup, the same guy or gal you see for your yearly check-ups and miscellaneous health woes. Your primary care provider is trained in a wide range of medical issues, including men’s sexual health conditions.
An Online Healthcare Provider
If it’s too awkward to talk to a primary care provider you’ve potentially known for years, or you don’t want to leave the house (we feel that), you can connect with a licensed healthcare provider online.
Telehealth platforms like Hims allow you to talk to a healthcare provider online and get ED treatment delivered to your door.
Specialists for Erectile Dysfunction
A general practitioner may refer you to a specialist for treatment, further tests or follow-ups.
Most men don’t need further investigations. But specialized testing could be necessary if a doctor finds an abnormality of the penis or testes, or if you’re unresponsive to ED treatments and are considering surgery, for example.
Here’s who they might put you in touch with.
A Urologist
A urologist is a doctor who specializes in treating diseases of the urinary tract and male reproductive organs, and that includes erectile dysfunction.
You might be referred to a urologist if you have ED alongside a prostate issue or penile deformity.
The American Urological Association and most medical guidelines recommend men who have a high risk of prostate cancer or lower urinary tract symptoms along with ED get screened for prostate cancer. A urologist can do this.
You can also skip the general practitioner and book an appointment directly with a urologist, either at a urology practice or an ED clinic.
Check out our guide to ED clinics to learn more.
An Endocrinologist
An endocrinologist specializes in hormone-related diseases and conditions such as:
Diabetes
Thyroid dysfunction
Adrenal disorders
Obesity
Sexual function and reproduction issues
Where does ED fit into this? Well, ED can be caused by diabetes or hormone deficiencies like hypogonadism (low testosterone). In fact, men who have diabetes are two to three times more likely to develop ED than those without diabetes.
So if a doctor suspects that uncontrolled diabetes or a hormonal deficiency is contributing to ED, you may be referred to an endocrinologist to treat the root cause.
A Cardiologist
A cardiologist specializes in conditions relating to the heart and blood vessels, such as:
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Atherosclerosis (thickening of the arteries)
Heart attack
Stroke
Heart disease
ED is tightly linked with heart problems, as erections are all about healthy blood flow.
ED can be caused by heart-related conditions like:
High blood pressure
Atherosclerosis
Heart disease and blood vessel disease
It can also be caused by blood pressure medications.
If you’re seeing another type of doctor for ED, you might be referred to a cardiologist who can screen you for cardiovascular disease.
A cardiologist could even be the first doctor who consults you about an ED problem if you’re seeing them for what you may have thought was an unrelated heart condition.
A Mental Health Professional
Erectile dysfunction can be caused by psychological and emotional issues such as:
Fear of sexual failure
Guilt about sexual performance or sexual activities
Low self-esteem
Stress (about ED or daily life)
Relationship problems
Psychological trauma
This is where a mental health professional can help. You might be referred to a mental health professional if a psychiatric disorder is causing problems in the bedroom or if you’re a younger man with lifelong ED.
Depending on what’s triggering ED, you could benefit from mental health treatment. This could be medication or therapy, such as talk therapy, sex therapy or couples therapy.
And even if a psychological issue isn’t behind your ED, you may still benefit from seeing a mental health professional, as ED can cause mental health issues like stress, relationship problems and sexual performance anxiety.
Learn more in our guide to psychological ED.
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How to Choose the Right Doctor for Erectile Dysfunction
The good news here is you don’t necessarily have to figure out who’s the best doctor for erectile dysfunction.
Start by talking to your primary care provider or an online healthcare provider. They may be able to diagnose and treat ED without any further doctors.
If needed, they can refer you to the right type of specialist for your needs, such as an endocrinologist or a mental health professional, depending on what they suspect is behind your ED.
When Should You See an Erectile Dysfunction Doctor?
You should see an erectile dysfunction doctor if you regularly experience symptoms of ED.
Symptoms of ED include:
Not being able to get an erection
Not being able to maintain an erection
Being able to get an erection sometimes, but not every time you want to have sex
We all have off days — especially when stressed, distracted or not in the mood for sex — so don’t panic if you occasionally find it difficult to get or keep an erection.
But if you repeatedly find it hard to, well…get hard, reach out to a healthcare provider to discuss your symptoms.
While it can be embarrassing to talk about, ED is treatable, so the sooner you speak up, the sooner you can get back on your A-game.
Plus, erectile dysfunction can be a sign of a serious health condition, so it’s always worth getting checked out.
See our guide on how to know if you have erectile dysfunction for more details.
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Questions for You and Your ED Doctor
As you can see, there are many different types of doctors who can treat erectile dysfunction. The right ED doctor for you will depend on what’s causing your ED.
The first doctor you see about erectile dysfunction — whether that’s your primary care provider or an online provider — will ask questions to determine what could be causing ED.
Deep breath. It’s about to get personal real quick. You may be asked about your sex life, lifestyle and any other known health problems.
Potential questions include:
How often your penis is firm enough for sex
How often you’re able to maintain an erection during sex
How often you find sex satisfying
How you’d rate your level of sexual desire
How often you’re able to ejaculate
If you have an erection when you wake up in the morning
Whether you take any over-the-counter or prescription medications
Whether you drink, smoke or take illegal drugs
Whether you’ve had any surgeries or treatments that may have damaged nerves or blood vessels near your penis
Remember, healthcare providers have heard it all before. So be honest with your answers to ensure you get the best treatment possible.
It’s normal to have questions about sexual dysfunction and your treatment options, so don’t be afraid to ask your doctor questions back. It’s not a one-way interview.
You can ask your doctor:
What could be causing your ED
How to take the medications you’ve been prescribed
About potential side effects and interactions from prescribed medications
What alternative treatment options are available
What lifestyle changes you can make to improve your ED
Whether you need to see a specialist ED doctor
There’s no such thing as a stupid question — especially when it comes to your health. Feel free to talk to your ED doctor or healthcare provider about anything related to your symptoms, treatment or what to expect in the future.
What to Expect at an Appointment for ED
The first thing to expect at an appointment for ED is questions about your sexual and medical history (see above).
Once that’s out of the way, your healthcare provider may run some tests when diagnosing ED to try and determine the cause.
They may do a mental health exam with a questionnaire (more questions, groan) to look for any psychological causes of ED.
They may also do a physical exam and check:
Your blood pressure
Your pulse
If your penis is sensitive to touch or lacks sensitivity
Your penis’s appearance for problems like Peyronie’s disease, which causes a bend or curve in the penis when you have an erection
If you have any extra body hair or breast enlargement (a clue you may have hormonal problems)
You may need further tests such as:
Lab tests. You might get a blood test to check for hormonal problems, diabetes, atherosclerosis and chronic kidney disease. These tests may measure your fasting glucose level, lipid profile and total testosterone level.
Imaging tests. An ultrasound test can detect poor blood flow in your penis. A healthcare provider may inject your penis with medication to create an erection before doing this test.
Injection tests. These tests also involve injecting your penis with medication to trigger an erection and sometimes inserting medication into your urethra instead.
Nocturnal erection tests. Just like it sounds, this test checks for erections at night. But instead of an ED doctor hiding in your bedroom corner, you’ll wear a plastic ring-like device around your penis to monitor whether you have any erections in your sleep.
Learn more about ED tests.
Treatment Options for Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction is treatable, and plenty of treatment options are out there.
Here’s a breakdown of how an erectile dysfunction doctor can treat ED.
Medication
Erectile dysfunction medications exist.
Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (aka PDE5 inhibitors) are a type of oral medication and a first-line treatment for ED. They work by increasing blood flow to the penis.
PDE5 inhibitors approved by the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) include:
Sildenafil. Sildenafil is the active ingredient in Viagra®. You take it an hour before sexual activity, and it lasts about four hours per dose.
Vardenafil. Vardenafil is the generic version of Levitra®. Similar to Viagra, you also pop a pill an hour before sex, and it lasts about four hours.
Tadalafil. Tadalafil is the generic for Cialis®. You take it at least 30 minutes before sex, and it lasts up to 36 hours — hence the nickname “the weekend pill.”
Avanafil. Avanafil is generic Stendra®. It’s the newest PDE5 on this list, and you can take it as little as 15 minutes before sex.
You can also get Hims hard mints, chewable erectile dysfunction meds that contain different doses of ED drugs.
Lifestyle Changes
Small tweaks to your daily life can help in the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
Your ED doctor may recommend lifestyle changes on their own or alongside other ED treatments.
These include:
Avoiding drugs
Quitting smoking
Cutting down on alcohol
Exercising regularly
Eating a balanced diet
Reducing stress levels
Check out these natural tips for maintaining an erection.
Therapy
As we said above, therapy can be useful for both treating any psychological causes of ED and addressing any issues that ED has caused — like relationship problems or anxiety.
A therapist can teach you tools to better manage stress and anxiety, and a couples therapist can help you work through conflict or relationship issues.
Learn more about the types of therapy available.
Vacuum Erection Devices
A vacuum device (aka penis pump) is a plastic tube you put over your penis. There’s a pump to remove air from the tube. This creates a vacuum that pulls blood into your penis to create an erection.
Sounds like a medieval torture device — works like a charm.
Surgery
You can get surgery for erectile dysfunction. But this is usually reserved for men who can’t use nonsurgical treatments or who experience adverse effects from nonsurgical treatments. It’s sometimes an option for men with penile fibrosis (scar tissue on the surface of the penis) or penile vascular insufficiency (when penis veins can’t store the blood required to maintain an erection).
Surgical options for ED include getting penile implant surgery to help with erections or rebuilding arteries to increase blood flow to the penis.
A urologist will usually perform surgery for ED.
Remember, an ED doctor can determine the cause of erectile dysfunction and the best ED treatments for you, so the first step is reaching out to a healthcare provider.
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Erectile Dysfunction Doctors: The Final Verdict
If you’re having erection problems, it’s time to reach out to a doctor. But there’s no single doctor that treats ED. In fact, your regular primary care provider or a doctor you connect with through a telehealth company can help with many men’s health problems, including erectile dysfunction.
Here’s what you need to know:
Reach out to your primary care provider or an online doctor. They can diagnose ED and may be able to treat it themselves. If needed, they’ll refer you to the right specialist.
The best ED doctor depends on what’s causing ED. A mental health professional can help with psychological causes, whereas an endocrinologist can help when hormones are to blame.
ED is treatable. A healthcare provider can recommend the best treatment options for you, whether that’s Viagra, therapy or a vacuum device.
Want to treat ED from home? There’s an ED doctor for that.
Connect with one of our licensed healthcare providers through our telehealth platform. If appropriate, you can get FDA-approved ED medication online.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment or medication.