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Men's Health

When drugs for erectile dysfunction don't work: What's next?

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If erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs in pill form don't work, there are four major alternatives: penile injection, medication pellets, vacuum constriction method, and penile implant. Each option has pluses and minuses, and will work for different men depending on their preferences. Injection is the most effective option, but some men find it difficult to insert a needle in the penis. Inserting a medicine pellet in the tip of the penis works less well than injections. The vacuum constriction method does not produce a fully firm, natural-feeling erection. The penile implant approach is reliable but disturbs the natural erectile anatomy, which means that ED medications will no longer work.

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