Yes, a man with erectile dysfunction can get a woman pregnant: ED is a problem with erections, not with fertility. Erectile dysfunction (ED) means not being able to get or keep an erection firm enough for sex, and it does not include problems with fertility (healthdirect). The obstacle is getting sperm to the egg. Often, treating the ED is enough; when it is not, there are ways to conceive without intercourse.
How does ED get in the way of pregnancy?
Through sex, not through sperm. What ED can cause is difficulties with sexual intercourse and ejaculation during sex, and pregnancy usually depends on both. That matters because fertility is judged over time: for couples, infertility is usually diagnosed when pregnancy has not happened after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sex, meaning sex every 2 or 3 days throughout the month (healthdirect). If ED means sex happens rarely, that alone can make pregnancy take longer.
Can ED treatment make natural conception possible?
Often, yes. ED can't always be completely cured, but usually treatments will allow you to get an erection so you can have sexual intercourse (healthdirect). For many couples that makes natural conception possible again. The tablets available in Australia, sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil and avanafil, all need a prescription, work only with sexual stimulation, and must never be taken with nitrates (healthdirect). They are not a fertility risk in themselves: in volunteers, a single 100 mg dose of sildenafil had no effect on how well sperm moved or on their shape (EMA product information).
Do the causes of ED also affect fertility?
Some of them do. ED can stem from physical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, or hormonal imbalances, and from psychological issues such as stress, anxiety and depression (healthdirect). Several of these reappear on the list of causes of infertility: in men, healthdirect names low sperm count, poor sperm movement or shape, ejaculation disorders, testicular problems, hormonal issues and older age, and in both partners smoking, alcohol, illegal drugs, weight, sexually transmitted infections, some medical conditions, severe stress and some medicines (healthdirect). Finding the underlying cause of ED can therefore help with both: quitting smoking, for example, can improve your fertility, and its negative effects on fertility are generally gone a year after you stop.
What fertility treatments work without sex?
healthdirect names two fertility treatments that do not rely on intercourse: artificial insemination, where collected sperm is placed in the woman's body, and in vitro fertilisation (IVF), where eggs are fertilised outside the body (healthdirect). Your doctor may suggest tests for both of you first: about 1 in 3 infertility problems come from the female partner, 1 in 3 from the male partner and 1 in 3 from both or from unknown causes.
When should a couple see a doctor?
If the woman is under 35 and you have been trying for 12 months or more, or she is over 35 and you have been trying for 6 months. See a doctor straight away if you think either of you may have a fertility problem (healthdirect). With ED, there is no need to wait that long: a GP can assess the erection problem now, and treating it may be the only help you need. ED is also often the first sign of heart disease, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, which is another reason to have it checked (healthdirect).
