Question
Can HIV cause erectile dysfunction?
13 May 2008. Related: All topics, Drug interactions, Side effects.
Is it more common for HIV +ve person to suffer from erectile dysfunction ? What can be done to reduce or treat the problem ?
Answer
Erectile dystsfunction can be related to many things including HIV (if the HIV is advanced), but also on many other factors like: age, smoking, alcohol consumption, testosterone levels, prolactin levels, use of ARV therapy, other medications including antidepressants, steroids or medications for high blood pressure, psychological problems, etc.
Treatments vary depending on the cause.
The most common oral pills are sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis) or vardenafil (Levitra). If you are
Hi Fungai,
Good sexual health is important to overall quality of life.
Sexual dysfunction, whether due to HIV, side effects of HIV treatments, or other factors, can dramatically reduce quality of life. There can be many causes and there are quite a few treatments. You can read more about sexual health and erectile dysfunction here in the guide to HIV and your quality of life.
I have the same problem as above please can you help
Hi Yonton,
Please see the above post and Q7 here:
http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
what will happen if I stop my regular treatment? will that help erection options?
Hi Payne,
If you stop taking your ARVs your CD4 will begin to drop and your viral load will rebound. Therefore, stopping meds because you are having problems with getting an erection isn’t really an option. The best thing would be to talk to your doctor. If this has been a problem for some time they maybe able to give you some medication for this.
I’m 25, I tested positve when I was 17 years and started my drugs, but now when I want to have sex with my girlfriend my penis doesn’t get erect my question is, can I stop this drug to make my penis erect?
Hi Moses,
You can find some information in the answer above.
Our website also has information here:
http://i-base.info/guides/side/sexual-health
I have above similar problem. Pls I need help too.
Hi
Your question refers to us as doctors and this is not the case. This is a community information service that provides information from advocates but we are not doctors.
If you were in the UK, all the things you describe would be a reason to go back to see your doctor. We would emphasise that this is important now and waiting for six months is not good enough.
If you have a rash after starting treatment you need to tell your doctor and he or she needs to see this.
The doctor can also talk about erection problems. See this link for more information about sexual health.
Most people gain some wight after starting treatment and this is usually a good sign. If you have a history of heart problems, your doctor needs to access this though and talk about how to manage this. This usually starts with looking at your diet and exercise. Again, because of the previous heart problems this needs a discussion with your doctor.
I don’t know your circumstances but you health is important and so is your quality of life.
If your doctor is not good, find another doctor.
I am HIV positive and have been on antiritroviral drugs (stocrin/efavirenz and Tenvir em/tenofovir/FTC) for the past 4 months. I used to suffer from erectile disfunction occassionally but right now my situation has worsen. once i get the erection my penis will just automatically gets weak durring intercourse when i have not even ejaculate. Plz i need your assistance. This is really pulling my wife to madness everytime this occurs. I have also gain so much weight since i started my treatment but constantly having pimples around my face a some ring worm marks around my neck and face region. My doctor told me to come back after 6 months i am still waiting for the date while still continuing with my treatment. I sometimes have some kind of mosquito bite like bombs on my body everytime i just get stressed up. I once suffered a minor stroke but i am gradually recovering but feel so much pain in my arm. Plz doctor tell me what i should do thx.