Before you go

  • Write your medication list, including supplements — the single most useful thing you can bring.
  • Note when the problem started and whether the onset was sudden or gradual.
  • Note whether you get erections on waking or alone.
  • Take your self-assessment score.
  • Write down your questions. It is easy to forget them in the room.
  • If bloods are likely, ask whether you should fast beforehand.

What happens during the appointment

  1. The sexual history. When it started, how consistent it is, whether it is getting or keeping the erection, morning erections, desire, ejaculation, and how it is affecting you and your relationship.
  2. The general history. Diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, heart disease, surgery, smoking, alcohol, exercise, sleep, mood and stress.
  3. Medication review. Every drug you take, prescribed or otherwise.
  4. Examination. Blood pressure, pulse, weight and waist. Often a genital examination to check testicular size and feel for a Peyronie's plaque. Sometimes peripheral pulses and, where appropriate, a prostate examination.
  5. Tests. Usually blood tests — glucose or HbA1c, lipids, and a morning testosterone if indicated.
  6. The plan. A treatment to start, what to expect, and when to come back.

What you should leave with

  • A clear statement of what your clinician thinks is going on, or what they are ruling out.
  • Any tests ordered, and how you will get the results.
  • A treatment to try, with the dose and how to take it.
  • Explicit instructions on what to do if the first attempt does not work — including how many attempts to make before concluding it has failed.
  • A review date.
  • A clear answer on whether your cardiovascular risk has been assessed.

The follow-up visit

Expect a review at around four to eight weeks. Between visits, keep a simple note of what you took, when, what you had eaten, and what happened. That log makes the follow-up appointment far more productive than trying to remember.

  • If the response was partial, a dose increase is often the next step.
  • If there was no response at the maximum tolerated dose after a genuine trial, switching molecules is standard before moving on.
  • If two different tablets have failed, ask about referral to urology and about injection therapy.
  • If test results showed something — raised glucose, low testosterone, high lipids — make sure there is a plan for that too, not just for the erection.
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Will I definitely be examined?
A genital examination is standard practice but not always performed at a first visit. Ask what it will involve and why — that is a reasonable question.
Can I bring my partner?
Yes, and many clinicians find it helpful. Partners often supply information you may not think to mention.
Will I get a prescription on the first visit?
Often yes, if there are no contraindications. Sometimes results are needed first, particularly where cardiac risk is uncertain.
How much does the appointment cost?
It depends entirely on your insurance and setting. The consultation is usually covered even where the medication is not — worth checking in advance.
Sources

What this is based on

We link to primary sources — clinical guidelines, regulator publications and peer-reviewed research — wherever possible. Links open on third-party sites we do not control.

  1. [01]American Urological Association. Erectile Dysfunction: AUA Guideline (2018).
  2. [02]Urology Care Foundation. What is Erectile Dysfunction?.
  3. [03]National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Definition & Facts for Erectile Dysfunction.