In this episode of The Sexual Wellness sessions hosted by Psychosexual & Relationship Therapist Kate Moyle, we're talking about erectile dysfunction, why and how it happens and the impact that it can have on men's mental health, sex lives, relationships and wellbeing.

My guests, Xander and Angus are cousins who started Mojo Men after a fortuitously long car journey where they opened up to each other about their personal struggles with sex, even though it was something that they had never talked about before. Encouraged by the fact that they were able to have that conversation, and both feeling like they had broken through a barrier, they wanted to create a platform to make sure that more men weren't feeling isolated and alone with their experiences of struggling with erections.

Difficulty getting or maintaining erections is a common presentation in psychosexual therapy, and there is such a strong theme to those discussions. Men can often struggle with how they feel about themselves as a man and a sexual person, but also as a partner. Challenges with sex can stop people wanting to date to avoid the risk of trying to having sex and it not going to plan, and the impact of this can have a huge knock on effect on how men and sometimes their partner's feel about themselves.

One of the biggest challenges that those struggling with any kind of sexual dysfunction fight is the invisibility of these conditions, and also the lack of mainstream education and discussion about them. The normality of struggling with erections at some point across the lifespan is more expected, than to have full uninterrupted functioning always, and across all situations; but this isn't the message that we are taught; which leaves those struggling with symptoms feeling even more stressed, anxious and confused by what they are going through.

There are numerous reasons that someone may be struggling to get or maintain an erection, some health conditions and medications are linked to an increase in occurrence; but our headspace and mental health also plays a huge part and performance anxiety about sexual functioning is a common presentation in psychosexual therapy. Mojo Men want to help change this, and have created a platform that offers expert advice and exercises, a chance to connect with experts like psychosexual therapists, psychologists and men's health physiotherapists, and a forum for men to connect and help each other.

Follow Mojo Men on Instagram at @mojo.men

Follow Kate Moyle on Instagram at @katemoyletherapy 

Find out more about Mojo Men on their website https://mojomen.com/