[Erectile disorders: the reality]

The grouping together of erectile dysfunction and erectile disorder (i.e. dysfunction with distress) has led to the presentation of incredibly high prevalences (up to 52%). When limited to erectile disorder, two Dutch open population studies, among men aged 40-79 years, show remarkably similar and more realistic prevalences, namely 3 to 10%. Although the 'Leiden Impotence Screening Test' appears to reliably exclude somatic aetiological factors, it would be preferable if the general physician posed such diagnostic questions. It is hoped that the availability of pharmacotherapeutic treatments (notably sildenafil) will not tempt the general physician to join the patient in his inclination to 'somatise' his erectile disorder. Both intracavernosal self-injection therapy and the implantation of an erectile prosthesis give rise to a large proportion of dissatisfied men. In the Netherlands to date, the number of continuation prescriptions for sildenafil equals the number of first prescriptions, which suggests that many men also stop with this therapy. In the Netherlands, health insurance companies only reimburse self-injections and prosthesis implantations. It can be argued that all cost-effective treatments for erectile disorder, including psychosexual therapy, should be reimbursed, or none at all.