What is performance anxiety and erectile dysfunction?

  • Performance anxiety is intense fear or nervousness about being judged or failing during tasks like public speaking, performing, or sports, often leading to physical symptoms such as a racing heart or sweating.
  • Erectile dysfunction is the inability to achieve or maintain an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse.

Performance anxiety can lead to erectile dysfunction by triggering a stress response that makes it harder to get or keep an erection.

Key points:

  • Performance anxiety involves fear of negative evaluation in situations requiring a specific task or performance.
  • It triggers physical symptoms like rapid heartbeat, sweating, trembling, and nausea.
  • Psychological factors include perfectionism, lack of confidence, and worry about failure.
  • It can impair functioning by causing avoidance of triggering situations.

This text has been fact-checked for accuracy by Sorin Romaniuc, Pharmacist at medino.