Question: How do health care professionals diagnose ED?
Answer: Health care professionals, including urologists, use your medical, sexual, and mental health history; a physical exam; and lab and other tests to diagnose erectile dysfunction (ED).

Medical, sexual, and mental health history

Health care professionals will take your medical history. They may ask what prescribed and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and supplements you take.

Your health care professional will review your sexual activity, including asking questions about

climax
ejaculation
erection
sexual desire

Health care professionals also ask questions about your mental health or emotions you are feeling. They may ask your intimate partner questions about your relationship and how it affects your ED.

This information will help your health care professional understand and diagnose your ED.

Physical exam

Health care professionals perform a physical exam to help diagnose ED. During the exam, they often check for

blood vesselandnervous systemissues
hormonalproblems
injury to or physical problems with thepenis, such asPeyronie’s disease
Question: What tests do health care professionals use to diagnose ED?
Answer: Health care professionals may use lab, imaging, and other tests to help diagnose ED.

Lab and imaging tests

To help find the cause of ED, your health care professional may use

blood tests, includingthyroid testsandprostate tests
ultrasound imagingto show how blood flows through the penis

Other tests

Nocturnal erection test

A nocturnal, or nighttime, erection test checks for erections you have at night. The test can help health care professionals know if your ED is due to a physical problem. You might have this test at home or in a sleep lab.

Injection test

An injection test, also called intracavernosal injection, checks if the penis can get an erection. A health care professional injects a medicine into your penis to see how full the penis gets and how long an erection lasts. The test is usually done in a health care professional’s office.