Resumo

PAULA, Silvia Helena Bastos de; ALMEIDA, Juliane Daniee  e  BONFIM, José Ruben de Alcântara. Erectile dysfunction: from medicalization to the comprehensive care in Primary Attention. BIS, Bol. Inst. Saúde (Impr.) [online]. 2012, vol.14, n.1, pp. 101-109. ISSN 1518-1812.

There are some projections showing that in 2025 there will be, all over the world, 322 million men with erectile dysfunction (ED) and that will occur a higher increase in cases in developing countries, as the ones in Africa and Latin America. The erectile dysfunction was defined by the National Institute of Health (NIH) of the United States of America as a persistent incapacity to achieve and maintain a sufficient rigidity of the penis allowing for satisfactory sexual activity. The nomenclature “erectile dysfunction” was adopted in replacement to “male impotence”, expression considered stigmatizing. Considering social aspects and values related to youth and sexuality that affects male sexual function and problems of access of men to the health services, a brief discussion is developed about the implications of the ED and its conditioning factors and disorders resulting from the problem, as well as the therapeutic options and strategies for men’s sexual and reproductive health promotion.

Palavras-chave : Erectile dysfunction; Primary attention; Medicalization.