Prevalence and risk factors of erectile dysfunction in Niger delta region, Nigeria

Background: Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is one of the major social problems causing significant distress in men. Despite the increasing difficulty in management, knowledge, and understanding of factors responsible for its development are important for prevention and care. Objectives: To assess the prevalence and risk factors for ED among men in Niger Delta Region of Nigeria, in order to determine its contextual variables. Methods: Subjects included 400 male patients attending the general outpatients' clinic (GOPC) of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital. Respondents completed the abridged version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5). Results: A total of 166 (41.5%) subjects had ED; 66 (16.5%) had mild; 32 (8.0%) mild to moderate; 24 (6.0%) moderate; while 45 (11.3%) had severe 37 (9.2%) resulted from hypertension and its medications; 29 (7.3%) from diabetes; 49 (12.2%) from a combination of both and their therapies (P=0.044); 24 (6.0%) had history of previous surgery; while for 27 (6.8%) it was from undiagnosed medical conditions (p=0.001). The ED increases with age and is more among married and educated men. Conclusion: ED is a common problem among men in Niger Delta region. Therefore, efforts must be made to reduce the incidence by dealing with the factors responsible for its development.