- ED can happen at any age, including in your 20s and 30s, but it becomes more common as you get older.
- There is no age when men are expected to stop getting erections. Erections may take longer, feel less firm, or require more stimulation with age.
- ED is not an inevitable part of aging. Persistent erection difficulties may have an underlying physical, psychological, or medication-related cause.
- The factors behind ED can change with age. Stress and performance anxiety may be more relevant for some younger men, while cardiovascular health, diabetes, medications, and other health conditions become increasingly important to consider later in life.
- Help is available if ED becomes a concern. A healthcare professional can assess what may be contributing and discuss appropriate next steps with you.
When erections start to change, age is often the first explanation that comes to mind. But getting older doesn’t tell the whole story.
Changes in erectile function can reflect what’s happening elsewhere in your health or life, from stress and medications to cardiovascular and metabolic health. That’s why when the change started, how often it happens, and whether anything else has changed can matter more than your age alone.
So, what should you actually expect from your erections as you get older? This guide looks at erectile dysfunction through each stage of adulthood, what may be contributing at different ages, and when a change is worth paying attention to.
What Age Does Erectile Dysfunction Start?
There is no specific age when erectile dysfunction starts. ED can occur in your 20s or 30s, although it becomes more common as you get older. An occasional erection problem at any age isn’t necessarily a cause for concern, but recurring difficulties are worth paying attention to.
The connection between ED and age is less about age itself and more about the factors that become more common over time. Erections rely on healthy blood flow, nerve function, hormones, and psychological arousal. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, certain medications, lifestyle factors, and psychological health can all affect these systems.
That’s why erectile function can vary considerably between men of the same age. Age may increase the likelihood of ED, but it doesn’t determine when or whether you’ll experience it.
Physician’s Takeaway
Age can increase the risk of ED, but it shouldn’t be the only explanation. A persistent change in your usual erectile function is more important clinically and may be worth assessing.
Erectile Dysfunction by Age
What ED looks like can be different at each stage of adulthood. In younger men, the pattern may point more strongly toward stress, performance anxiety, lifestyle, or certain health factors. As you get older, vascular health, medications, metabolic conditions, and other physical contributors often become more relevant.
Here’s what to know about ED through your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond.
ED in Your 20s
Erectile dysfunction can happen in your 20s, and it isn't always caused by one thing. Performance anxiety and stress can play a role, but lifestyle, medications, and physical health can also affect erections. The pattern of when difficulties occur can provide useful clues about what may be contributing.
- Performance anxiety or stress
- Depression or other psychological factors
- Relationship concerns
- Lifestyle and substance use
- Certain medications
- Underlying physical health conditions
- Difficulties mainly occur with a partner or under pressure
- Erections are otherwise normal during masturbation or at other times
- Problems began after a stressful or difficult sexual experience
- Erection difficulties are becoming more frequent or consistent
An occasional difficult experience isn't necessarily ED. Consider speaking with a healthcare professional if erection problems keep happening, become more frequent, or begin affecting your confidence or sex life.
Suggested Reading: How to Overcome Sexual Performance Anxiety
ED in Your 30s
In your 30s, stress and performance anxiety can still have a strong influence on erections, especially when difficulties come and go depending on the situation. At the same time, this is an age when physical health, medications, lifestyle, and emerging cardiovascular or metabolic risk factors shouldn't be overlooked.
- Stress and performance anxiety
- Work pressure and poor sleep
- Relationship stress
- Alcohol use and other lifestyle factors
- Certain medications
- High blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, or other health conditions
- Difficulties vary depending on stress, situation, or partner
- Erections are normal at some times but difficult at others
- Problems appeared after starting or changing a medication
- Erection difficulties are becoming more consistent over time
If ED in your 30s persists, don't assume you're too young for physical factors to be involved. Looking at both psychological and physical contributors can help identify what may be affecting your erectile function.
ED in Your 40s
Erectile dysfunction becomes more common in your 40s, making cardiovascular and metabolic health increasingly important to consider. Because erections depend on healthy blood vessels and blood flow, changes in erectile function can sometimes occur alongside changes in your broader health.
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes and metabolic health
- Smoking and weight-related factors
- Cardiovascular disease
- Medications and psychological factors
- Erections are less firm or reliable than before
- Difficulties are becoming more consistent across situations
- Morning or spontaneous erections have noticeably changed
- Other cardiovascular or metabolic risk factors are present
Recurring erection difficulties in your 40s shouldn't automatically be dismissed as getting older. If there's a persistent change from your usual erectile function, it may be worth assessing both physical and psychological factors that could be contributing.
ED in Your 50s
In your 50s, several factors can begin to overlap. Vascular and metabolic health, medications, hormonal changes, lifestyle history, and psychological health may all influence erectile function. At the same time, some changes in sexual response can occur with age without necessarily meaning you have ED.
- Vascular and cardiovascular health
- Diabetes and other metabolic conditions
- Medications
- Hormonal changes
- Long-term lifestyle factors
- Stress and psychological health
- Erections take longer to develop than before
- More direct stimulation is needed to become fully erect
- Erections are consistently less firm or harder to maintain
- Changes are becoming more noticeable or persistent over time
Needing more time or stimulation isn't necessarily the same as ED. What matters more is whether you can reliably get and maintain an erection sufficient for sexual activity. A persistent change from what's normal for you is worth paying attention to.
ED in Your 60s and Beyond
Erectile dysfunction becomes more common in your 60s and later, especially as conditions affecting blood vessels, nerves, metabolism, and overall health become more prevalent. Medication use may also play a greater role. Even so, getting older does not mean sexual function simply stops.
- Cardiovascular and vascular health
- Diabetes and metabolic conditions
- Neurological conditions or nerve damage
- Multiple medications
- Hormonal and overall health changes
- Long-term lifestyle factors
- More time or stimulation is needed to become aroused
- Erections are less firm or less predictable than before
- Maintaining an erection has become consistently difficult
- Changes occur alongside new medications or other health concerns
Some changes in sexual response can occur with age, but consistently being unable to get or maintain an erection should not automatically be attributed to getting older. A healthcare professional can help assess whether there are contributing factors worth addressing.
At What Age Do Men Stop Getting Erections?
There is no specific age when men stop getting erections. Men can continue to have erections and remain sexually active well into later life, although the way the body responds to sexual stimulation can change with age.
These changes don’t necessarily mean you have erectile dysfunction. The more important distinction is whether you can reliably get and maintain an erection firm enough for sexual activity.
If that ability changes persistently or noticeably, it’s worth looking beyond age to understand what may be contributing.
Suggested Reading: Physical vs Psychological Erectile Dysfunction
Why Does Erectile Dysfunction Become More Common With Age?
The factors that can interfere with erections tend to accumulate or become more common over time.
Erections depend on healthy blood flow, nerve function, hormones, and psychological arousal. As men get older, they are more likely to encounter factors that can affect these systems, including:
Often, more than one factor is involved. That’s why ED becomes more common with age, even though getting older doesn’t automatically mean developing ED.
Is It Common to Have Erectile Dysfunction at a Younger Age?
Yes. ED can affect men in their 20s and 30s, although it becomes more common with age. A 2025 review of erectile dysfunction in young adults highlighted a U.S. study of 2,660 young men in which 14.2% reported some degree of ED. The review also found that ED in younger men can involve physical contributors, including vascular, metabolic, hormonal, neurological, and medication-related factors.
Performance anxiety, stress, depression, and relationship concerns can also contribute, and physical and psychological factors may overlap.
Persistent ED in a younger man therefore shouldn’t automatically be attributed to performance anxiety or dismissed because of his age.
14.2% of young men in a U.S. study of 2,660 participants reported some degree of erectile dysfunction.
When Should You Talk to a Doctor About ED?
Changes in erectile function are worth discussing when they become persistent, noticeable, or begin affecting your sex life. They may also be relevant when they occur alongside medication changes or other health concerns.
Consider getting assessed if:
How to Treat Erectile Dysfunction
Treatment for erectile dysfunction depends on what’s contributing to it, your overall health, and your individual needs. Different approaches may be used on their own or together.
Lifestyle Changes
Improving physical activity, sleep, weight management, smoking habits, and alcohol use may support both erectile and cardiovascular health.
ED Medications
Medications such as sildenafil (Viagra) and tadalafil (Cialis) can help increase blood flow to the penis during sexual stimulation.
Psychological Counselling
Counselling may help when performance anxiety, stress, depression, relationship concerns, or other psychological factors are contributing to ED.
Shockwave Therapy
Low-intensity shockwave therapy uses acoustic waves and may be considered for some men with ED, particularly when vascular factors are involved.
Addressing Underlying Health Conditions
Managing diabetes, cardiovascular risk factors, hormonal issues, or reviewing medications that may affect erectile function can also be an important part of treatment.
The most appropriate treatment depends on the underlying cause, which is why assessment can be useful before deciding on an approach.
For a closer comparison of these options, see our ED Treatment Options Compared guide.
How Ottawa Men’s Health Clinic Can Help
If your erections have changed, the first step is understanding what may be contributing. At Ottawa Men’s Health Clinic, we consider your symptoms, health history, medications, lifestyle, and other factors that may affect erectile function.
Erectile Dysfunction Assessment
We look at what has changed, how often it happens, and whether physical, psychological, or overlapping factors may be involved.
Identifying Contributing Factors
Depending on your situation, contributors may include vascular health, medications, hormonal factors, lifestyle, stress, or performance anxiety.
Personalized Treatment Options
Once the likely contributing factors are clearer, we can discuss treatment options suited to your needs rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
Noticing a Change in Your Erections?
Get clarity on what’s causing your ED and the treatment options that may be right for you.
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FAQs About Erectile Dysfunction & Age
Erectile dysfunction can start at any age, including in your 20s and 30s, although it becomes increasingly common as men get older. There isn’t a particular birthday or decade when ED suddenly begins. Erectile function depends on blood flow, nerve function, hormones, psychological arousal, medications, and overall health, all of which can vary considerably between men of the same age.
The factors behind ED can also differ across life stages. Stress and performance anxiety may be particularly relevant for some younger men, while cardiovascular health, diabetes, medication use, and other medical conditions become increasingly important to consider with age. A persistent change in your usual erectile function is generally more informative than your age alone.
Yes. Erectile dysfunction becomes more common after 40, with research showing that the likelihood of developing ED continues to increase through the 50s and 60s. This partly reflects the increasing prevalence of conditions and risk factors that can affect blood vessels, nerves, metabolism, and erectile function.
However, becoming more common does not make ED an inevitable or normal part of turning 40. Some changes in sexual response can occur with age, but recurring difficulty getting or maintaining an erection may have an identifiable contributing factor. Cardiovascular health, diabetes, medications, lifestyle, psychological health, and other factors may all be relevant.
ED becomes more common because many of the factors that interfere with erections become more prevalent or accumulate over time. An erection requires healthy circulation, functioning nerves, appropriate hormonal signalling, and sexual arousal. A problem affecting one or more of these systems can make erections less reliable.
As men get older, they are more likely to develop high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, neurological conditions, or other health problems that can affect erectile function. Medication use also tends to increase with age, and some medications can affect sexual function. Often, several contributing factors are present rather than one single cause.
There is no set age when men stop getting erections. Men can continue to experience erections and remain sexually active well into their 60s, 70s, and beyond. Aging can change sexual response, but it does not cause erections to simply stop at a particular age.
With age, erections may take longer to develop, require more direct stimulation, feel less firm, or take longer to return after orgasm. Those changes aren't necessarily erectile dysfunction. The more important distinction is whether you can reliably get and maintain an erection firm enough for sexual activity. A persistent or significant loss of that ability shouldn't automatically be attributed to age.
ED in younger men can have psychological, physical, or overlapping causes. Performance anxiety, stress, depression, relationship concerns, poor sleep, alcohol use, smoking, and other lifestyle factors can interfere with sexual arousal and erectile function. In some cases, one difficult sexual experience can also lead to worry about it happening again, creating a cycle of performance anxiety.
But being young doesn't rule out a physical cause. Vascular and metabolic problems, hormonal conditions, neurological factors, medication side effects, and other health issues can also contribute to ED in men in their 20s and 30s. Persistent erection difficulties in a younger man therefore shouldn't automatically be labelled as psychological without considering the broader picture.
Low testosterone can contribute to sexual difficulties, but low testosterone and erectile dysfunction are not the same thing. Testosterone has an important role in sexual desire, and low levels may be associated with reduced libido and other symptoms. Erections themselves also depend heavily on healthy blood flow and nerve function.
If erection difficulties occur alongside reduced sexual desire or other symptoms that could suggest a hormonal issue, a healthcare professional may consider whether hormone testing is appropriate. However, testosterone shouldn't automatically be assumed to be the cause of ED simply because a man is getting older.
It can be. ED is associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other conditions that affect blood vessels and nerves. The blood vessels supplying the penis are important for achieving an erection, so vascular problems that reduce healthy blood flow can also affect erectile function.
That doesn't mean having ED automatically means you have heart disease or diabetes. However, persistent or unexplained ED can be a reason to consider broader health factors, particularly if you also have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking history, obesity, or other cardiovascular risk factors. A healthcare professional can determine whether further assessment is appropriate.
No. Erectile dysfunction does not necessarily become progressively worse simply because you get older. While ED becomes more common with age, individual erectile function depends on overall health, medications, lifestyle, psychological wellbeing, and the specific factors contributing to the problem.
For example, ED associated with a medication, poorly controlled health condition, lifestyle factor, or performance anxiety may change when that contributing factor is addressed. Treatment options are also available for many causes of ED. Age can influence risk, but it doesn't determine how erectile function will change for every man.
No. Men don't automatically need Viagra or another ED medication when they reach a certain age. Medications are considered based on erectile symptoms, overall health, other medications, and what may be contributing to ED rather than age alone.
Sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis), and other PDE5 inhibitors help support the erectile response by increasing blood flow to the penis during sexual stimulation. They don't increase sexual desire or automatically create an erection. They also aren't appropriate for everyone, so medication choice and suitability should be discussed with a healthcare professional.
Consider speaking with a healthcare professional if erection difficulties keep happening, are becoming more frequent, or represent a noticeable change from your usual erectile function. Changes in morning or spontaneous erections, symptoms beginning after a medication change, or ED that is affecting your sex life, relationship, or confidence can also be reasons to seek an assessment.
It can be particularly useful to discuss ED when you have other health considerations such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, cardiovascular risk factors, or changes in sexual desire. You don't need to wait until erections are no longer possible before bringing it up; understanding what has changed can help identify what may be contributing and what next steps are appropriate.
Dr. Derek McLellan is a family physician with six years of focused experience in men’s health. He is a recognized provider of medical care in the evaluation and treatment of male sexual health and hormone-related conditions in Ottawa.
His clinical practice includes the assessment and management of erectile dysfunction, testosterone deficiency, and other men’s health concerns. With a background in family medicine, Dr. McLellan approaches patient care through comprehensive evaluation, evidence-based treatment planning, and ongoing clinical monitoring.