Niyazi Umut Ozdemir, MD Urologist

Erectile Dysfunction or Impotence

The inability of the penis to reach a sufficient level of hardness during sexual activity in men is called "erectile dysfunction" in medical language. Erectile dysfunction, known worldwide by the abbreviation "ED", is an important health problem faced by more than half of men over the age of 50. Until the 1980s, the term "impotence" was widely used to describe erection problems. Potence means power; its opposite, impotence, means powerlessness, weakness, ineffectiveness. The word "impotence", which is still widely used among the general public (at least its meaning is well known), has gradually decreased in frequency in the medical literature, both in local and foreign publications. We can say that this terminology has been abandoned in the field of sexual health science due to the fact that it is a somewhat condescending and derogatory expression in terms of the meaning it contains and because it is a strong disease labeling.