To determine the severity of erectile dysfunction, the IIEF (International Index of Erectile Function) questionnaire is used, either in its 15-question form or, in a shortened version, with 5 questions (IIEF-5).
Both types of questionnaires are reliable tools for obtaining an approximate assessment of erectile dysfunction severity. More commonly, the shorter version of the questionnaire (IIEF-5) is used, focusing on the respondent's experiences over the past 6 months.
Based on the answers to 5 simple questions, we can obtain information using a scoring system, which can then guide further steps in addressing the difficulties.
The questionnaire is short, easily understandable, and can be completed either independently in privacy or with a doctor. It takes less than 5 minutes to complete, and what's even better, it helps us on the path to solving the issues.
The IIEF-5 includes 5 questions related to confidence in achieving and maintaining an erection, its adequacy for sexual intercourse, sustainability during intercourse, duration of erection, and overall satisfaction.
The questions are as follows:
- How would you rate your confidence in your ability to achieve and maintain an erection?
- When you had erections with sexual stimulation, how often were your erections hard enough for penetration (sexual intercourse)?
- When you had erections with sexual stimulation, how often were you able to maintain your erection after penetration (entering your partner)?
- During sexual intercourse, how difficult was it to maintain your erection to completion of intercourse (ejaculation)?
- When you attempted sexual intercourse, how often was it satisfactory for you?
The questionnaire uses a scoring scale of 0 – 5 (never – always), with slightly different formulations between the extreme options of the response scale for each question.
If the score is 21 or less, it could indicate a certain degree of erectile dysfunction, and therefore, discussing these findings with a doctor would be appropriate.
Sexual health is a very important aspect of overall health and quality of life. Erectile dysfunction is a relatively common sexual disorder. Fortunately, there are many options available today for successfully treating this disorder. It's important to take the first step as soon as possible, such as completing the questionnaire, which takes less than 5 minutes. Sounds good, doesn't it?
Problems need to be addressed. Only then is there a chance for improvement.
Your health is your life priority, so act quickly!
You may also be interested in: Symptoms of Erectile Dysfunction
Author: Ava Williams