Male impotence may be more of a problem than many people think if the studies carried out in the USA are indicative of men around the world because in America, 10 per cent of men between the ages of 18 and 70 have difficulty getting and maintaining an erection,; amazingly this figure increases to 52% of men between 40 and 70. Estimates from research now indicate that anywhere between 18 and 30 million males in America alone are affected and have sought advice on impotence treatments.

Where impotence treatments have been used successfully they have shown improvements in the intimacy between couples including sexual aspects and have helped with depression and aspects of everyday life. Some people believe that if you suffer from premature ejaculation then you have an erectile dysfunction and require impotence treatment but this is not necessarily the case.

Any impotence treatments should begin with those that are the least invasive first and before this, any drugs that could be harmful should be stopped. The next stage to consider is psychotherapy and modifying the individual's behavior, if this doesn't work then the use of vacuum devices is looked at then drugs, both oral and injected, implanted devices and finally, surgery itself.

Using the male's partner, impotence treatment techniques can be used that help relax and reduce the man's anxiety when he thinks about the problems he has with intercourse. Often the problem is a physical one and these techniques are used to treat those with success as well.

Impotence treatments that use drugs can be based around those taken orally, injected or inserted into the penis. After much debate, the wonder impotence drug Viagra was given approval for use by the FDA in March 1998; it was the first such pill to be used and needed to be taken an hour before intercourse. Injected drugs can create an erection almost immediately but Viagra assists the response to sexual stimulation but can only be used once a day.

Oral testosterone can reduce the amount of impotence treatment required by some men with low levels of natural testosterone; however, some observed improvements following their use may be examples of the placebo effect.

The impotence treatment which uses a drug injected into the penis creates the erection by filling the penis with blood. However, a persistent erection and sometimes scarring are unwanted side effects using this form of treatment. A pellet of Alprostadil inserted into the tip of the penis using an applicator create an erection in as little as 10 minutes which may last anywhere from half to one hour.

Vacuum cylinders that encase the penis are a form of impotence treatment that uses a partial vacuum to draw blood into the penis thereby creating an erection. Once the vacuum cylinder is removed an elastic band is put around the base of the penis to maintain the erection during intercourse.

Owing to the size of the problem, impotence treatments are improving all the time so before any decision is made it is worthwhile speaking to your physician first. Before using any form of drug or device for treating impotence, prescribed or not, it is worthwhile investigating any possible side effects.