Three million Malaysian men may be suffering from erectile dysfunction

“I was involved in a research in 1996-1997 on ED and Malaysian men, and we found that 600,000 men above the age of 40 were suffering from complete ED,” Dr Mohd Ismail Mohd Tambi said in an exclusive interview with Astro AWANI.

The actual number of those afflicted could be higher, as some men are not willing to seek medical help for this particular condition.

“The number can be at least five times or more today,” said Dr Mohd Ismail who has nearly 30 years of experience in the field.

He said today, even Malaysian men in their late 20s, are suffering from complete ED.

“These are people who are obese, who lead stressful life and unhealthy lifestyle,” he said.

READ: Too much porn can lead to ED, Malaysian men warned

READ: Erectile dysfunction: Malaysians are willing to seek medical help - poll

Dr Mohd Ismail said smoking can also lead to ED, but Malaysian men are not willing to make the necessary lifestyle changes.

“In some cases, husbands believe smoking gives them better sexual satisfaction, although the wives beg to differ.”

Dr Mohd Ismail said when Viagra was first made available in Malaysia, he received orders from many Malaysian men suffering from mild ED and those who wanted to try the product. Orders even came in from Singapore.

“In Singapore, the drug was not easily available unless prescribed and provided by the doctor. So, many of them come here for the drug,” he explained.

However, he also noted the easy availability of other ED drugs, some in black market which are sold cheaply.

Dr Mohd Ismail cautioned against experimenting with the drugs.

“Many people take these drugs, which are recommended by their friends, without consulting doctors. These are cheap drugs from China and India and some are even ordered online,” he said.

He said some of the side effects of the illegal drugs include headaches, numbness in the face area, blocked nose, palpitations, eye redness, giddiness and joint pains.