Help for Partners
How to support your partner with erectile dysfunction
One of the first things to remember is that erectile dysfunction (ED) isn't anyone’s fault. It is a common medical condition,1 and your partner is not alone in his struggle. Even though ED is common, it often leads to feelings of rejection and may be intimidating to discuss.2 Instead of blaming yourself up and keeping quiet, use the guide below to open the discussion with your partner so you can work together to overcome ED and get that intimacy back in your relationship.
- Have a conversation and be open about how you are feeling
- Don’t blame him
- Have patience
- Be encouraging
- Go to the doctor’s office with him
- Ask questions and educate yourself on Erectile Dysfunction
Stan and Theresa's Story
"There was a romance, a spark that was put back that we didn't know went out."
Erectile dysfunction is often called the couple’s disease. It can impact your self-esteem and relationship by limiting the intimate moments you have with your partner.2
As a partner, you may feel guilty or rejected if your partner cannot get an erection. However, for more than 80% of men, the cause of their erectile dysfunction is from a physical problem or disorder.3 Don’t blame yourself.
Understanding the causes of erectile dysfunction may be able to help you and your partner find a treatment that can help bring back intimacy.
Causes of ED
There are many different causes of erectile dysfunction. ED can be caused by conditions that reduce blood flow and impact nerve function. Some examples of these conditions include diabetes, heart disease, prostate cancer treatments and neurological problems.4
For more information and to learn more about various conditions that can cause Erectile Dysfunction, visit our webpage: What Causes ED?
42% of women feel their partner's ED is their fault5
94% of men with ED felt their partner's support was important2
Partners report a 96% satisfaction rate with penile implants6
In more than 80% of cases, erectile dysfunction is due to a physical problem or disorder.3
ED Treatment Options
Erectile dysfunction is not an inevitable part of aging. There are several treatment options depending on the reason for your partner's ED. It's important to explore and learn about all alternative treatment options.
Oral
Medication
Vaccuum Erection
Devices
Insertable
Medication
Shot
Therapy
Penile Implants
Titan® implant, and
Titan Touch implant
Connect with a Patient Educator
You're not alone! Talk to someone who understands.
Patient Educators are men and their partners who have taken control of ED with a penile implant and they are available to share their experience with you.
Find a Specialist Near You
Choosing to take control over your ED is the first step in finding a solution. Starting the conversation with someone who can help is the next. You need a specialist with the skills and experience you can trust. Enter your zip code to see a listing of ED clinics and urology doctors in your area. Each listing provides the physicians in the country based on criteria such as the number of procedures performed, contributions to research in the field of erectile dysfunction, and leadership in professional associations for urologic physicians.
Centers of Excellence are staffed with the top urology physicians in the country based on criteria such as the number of procedures performed, contributions to research in the field of erectile dysfunction, and leadership in professional associations for urologic physicians.
Physicians listed on the Physician Locator, with or without Coloplast COE Program designation, pay no fee for inclusion. Some physicians on this list may purchase products from, provide consulting services to and/or be a party to a co-marketing agreement with Coloplast. Coloplast makes no representations or warranties regarding, and shall not be responsible for, the competencies or skill level of any of the physicians listed on the Physician Locator or designated as COEs or the quality of their procedural outcomes. You and your physician must determine the right procedure for you. For more information about this physician finder or if you have questions about how to add or manage directory listings please contact the administrator.
Titan® and Titan® Touch Inflatable Prosthesis - Important Safety information
A penile implant, also called a penile prothesis, is concealed entirely within the body to address erectile dysfunction (impotence). The implant requires some degree of manipulation before and after intercourse to make the penis erect or flaccid.
Indications
The Titan and Titan Touch Inflatable Penile Prosthesis is indicated for male patients suffering from erectile dysfunction (impotence) who are considered to be candidates for implantation of a penile prosthesis.
Contraindications
The Titan and Titan Touch Inflatable Penile Prosthesis is contraindicated in patients who have one or more of the following: (1) Patients with an active infection present anywhere in the body, especially urinary tract or genital infection. (2) Patients with a documented sensitivity to silicone. (3) Patients with unresolved problems affecting urination, such as an elevated residual urine volume secondary to bladder outlet obstruction or neurogenic bladder. (4) Patients unwilling to undergo any further surgery for device revision.
Warnings
Implantation of the device may make latent natural erections, as well as other interventional treatment options, impossible. Men with diabetes or spinal cord injuries, as well as immunocompromised patients, may have an increased risk of infection associated with a prosthesis. Implantation of a penile prosthesis may result in penile shortening, curvature or scarring.
Precautions
Removal of an implanted prosthesis without timely reimplantation of a new prosthesis may complicate subsequent reimplantation or may make it impossible. MRI quality may be compromised if the area of interest is in the exact same area or relatively close to the position of the Titan, and Titan Touch IPP. Be sure to consult with your physician. Patients should discuss all available treatment options and their risks and benefits with their physician. Health conditions which hamper sexual activity, such as severe chest pain (angina), may prevent successful use of this device. The prosthesis should not be implanted in patients who lack the manual dexterity or strength necessary to operate the device. Trauma to the pelvic or abdominal areas, such as impact injuries associated with sports (e.g., bicycle riding), can result in damage of the implanted device and/or surrounding tissues. This damage may result in the malfunction of the device and may necessitate surgical correction, including replacement of the device. The device may be used in the presence of Peyronie’s Disease.
Potential Complications
Penile implants are surgical solutions requiring a healing period that have risks associated with surgery such as scrotal swelling, auto-inflation, discomfort, angulation/curvature, swelling (edema), device malfunction, chronic pain, difficulty with ejaculation, transient urinary retention, fever, migration, patient dissatisfaction, infection at surgical site or wound, deflation, swelling of clotted blood or clear fluid (hematoma/seroma), wound leakage, bleeding, delayed wound healing, narrowing of the opening of the foreskin (phimosis), sensory loss, cylinder malfunction, formation of thick tissue (fibrous capsule formation), over/under inflation, erosion, scrotal reddening (erythema), genital change, and inguinal hernia.
This treatment is prescribed by your physician. Discuss the treatment options with your physician to understand the risks and benefits of the various options to determine if a penile implant is right for you.
Caution: Federal law (USA) restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician.
References
- Definition & Facts for Erectile Dysfunction. NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk. nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/erectile-dysfunction/ definition-facts. Accessed March 2023.
- Li H, Gao T, Wang R. The role of the sexual partner in managing erectile dysfunction. Nat Rev Urol. 2016 Mar;13(3):168-77. doi: 10.1038/nrurol.2015.315. Epub 2016 Feb 2. PMID: 26832165.
- Khera M, Goldstein I. Erectile dysfunction. BMJ Clin Evid. 2011 Jun 29;2011:1803. PMID: 21711956; PMCID: PMC3217797.
- Symptoms and Causes of Erectile Dysfunction. NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/erectile-dysfunction/symptoms-causes. Accessed March 2023.
- It’s Not You, It’s Not Me, It’s ED. Superdrug Online Doctor. https://onlinedoctor.superdrug.com/women-and-ed/. Accessed October 2022.
- Bernal RM, Henry GD. Contemporary patient satisfaction rates for three-piece inflatable penile prostheses. Adv Urol. 2012;2012:707321.