The Top 3 Misconceptions Men Have About Their Sexual Health

Despite cultural conversations evolving surrounding masculinity, misconceptions remain about men’s sexual health issues. Topics like erectile dysfunction (ED), premature ejaculation (PE), or low testosterone are often stigmatized. This can lead to the circulation of misinformation on important health issues that will impact many men in their lifetime. 

According to our survey, 63 percent of men report having experienced ED, 53 percent report having experienced PE, and 56 percent report having experienced low testosterone.

More than half of men aged 18 to 65 report having experienced erectile dysfunction (63%), premature ejaculation (53%), or low testosterone (56%).

Experiencing these sexual health issues, however, doesn’t necessarily translate to feeling well-versed in them. For example, while more than half of the men surveyed (56 percent) claim to have experienced symptoms of low testosterone, only 35 percent report feeling well-educated about the issue. The same goes for ED and PE, where only 40 percent and 37 percent, respectively, say they are fully up to speed on these conditions.

Widely held misconceptions about men’s sexual health issues muddle the conversation, leaving men misinformed, feeling alone, or worse—feeling like something is wrong with them.

Here are three of the top misconceptions about men’s sexual health.

The first misconception is just how common men’s sexual health struggles are. The thinking goes, if no one’s talking about it, it must just be me. This couldn’t be further from the truth. As already noted, a majority of men in our study admit to having experienced ED (63 percent), PE (53 percent), or low testosterone (56 percent). This doesn’t account for men who may not feel comfortable acknowledging these conditions in a survey, which points to those numbers being even higher in reality. 

Gen Zs (men under 30) likely feel particularly alone about sexual health issues they experience. Most report believing that sexual health issues don’t start until midlife, and thus aren’t common in younger men.

Nearly half of the men surveyed (47.5 percent) believe ED starts at or after age 45. However, two-thirds (66 percent) of millennial men ages 30 to 44 report having experienced ED already. Even more surprising? While only 5 percent of Gen Z men believe erectile dysfunction starts before age 30, 43 percent of Gen Z respondents say they’ve already experienced it. So it stands that most younger men who experience issues of exual dysfunction believe they are statistical anomalies, which isn’t the case.

Back to the first misconception, no wonder they feel alone: nearly half of young men are struggling with something that they feel is an anomaly at their age. Likewise, 38 percent of Gen Z men report having experienced symptoms of low testosterone, yet only 11 percent believe it's even possible before 30.

Pull stat: Only 5% of Gen Z men believe erectile dysfunction (ED) can start before 30, but 43% report having already experienced it.

This mismatch of perceptions (the belief that something happens to men starting at age 45) versus actual experiences (it’s happening to respondents at age 25) deepens the stigma and keeps men—particularly young men—silent. The reality can also amplify feelings of shame, leaving young men convinced their struggles are a personal failing. As a result, opportunities for early intervention may be missed, with some men waiting years before acknowledging or treating symptoms they could have addressed sooner with a healthcare provider.

While sexual performance is certainly part of the sexual health equation, issues relating to intercourse alone don’t illustrate the full picture. Notably, sexual health problems can indicate high blood pressure or, in the case of erectile dysfunction, an early sign of cardiovascular disease.

Sexual health also impacts mental health. Mental health and sexual health are deeply intertwined, with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and psychosis having possible links to sexual dysfunction. 

This reality makes destigmatizing issues of sexual health an urgent matter. Men who dismiss symptoms of sexual health issues or avoid seeking treatment may overlook more serious health risks. Destigmatizing these topics begins with education and open dialogues, particularly among younger generations who are well-positioned to be change agents in how society understands and addresses men’s sexual health issues.

These findings are based on a 6,985-person online survey, including approximately 5,000 18-to-65-year-old respondents in the top 50 metropolitan areas (100 respondents per city); 5,000 18-to-65-year-old respondents in each of the 50 states (100 respondents per state); and a nationally representative sample of 500 18-to-65-year-old respondents. These three categories are not mutually exclusive; some respondents fall within more than one category. The study was fielded in August 2025.

All data in this study are from this source, unless otherwise noted. Independent research firm, Culture Co-op, conducted and analyzed research and findings. Those findings include more than 150 demographic and psychographic cuts, like city, region, gender (when we refer to “women” and “men,” we include all people who self-identify as such), age, race and ethnicity, relationship status, parenting status, sexual orientation (heterosexual, bisexual, gay, lesbian, pansexual, asexual, queer, etc.), fandoms (music, sports, etc.), and fitness and diet preferences, among other areas of interest.

Questions about our study? Contact us at press@forhims.com.