Changing relations between medicine, psychology and sexuality
The case of male impotence
Abstract
The paper discusses the notion of medicalization of sexuality from a historical and sociological perspective in order to understand the current process of medicalization of the treatment of erectile dysfunction. It is demonstrated that medical approaches - including definitions, etiologies, and treatment - of sexual problems are currently gaining more influence over psychological approaches. In the second part of the paper, the author illustrates this situation with the case of male impotence. The evolution of definitions of male impotence are presented. The consequences of these evolutions in the construction of epidemiological data are discussed. Results: New definitions of erectile disorders including self-estimated degrees of severity and frequency in
the disorders are closely related to an increase in the prevalence of the condition.
