Victims of Virility: Honor Endorsement, Stigma, and Men’s Use of Erectile Dysfunction Medication

The symptoms of erectile dysfunction (ED) pose a threat to physiological and psychological well-being, making it important that men feel comfortable seeking ED medication. Unfortunately, some men feel a sense of emasculation and shame in seeking medical help for their symptoms. The current research investigated how men in cultures of honor, who place strong emphasis on their masculine reputation and their virility, might be particularly hesitant to seek medication for ED symptoms due to the masculinity threat posed by such help-seeking. Across three studies, we found that young, honor-endorsing men held higher levels of stigma in regard to seeking ED medication (Study 1), that older men showed a decreased likelihood to seek ED medication, and that the link between honor endorsement and intention to use ED medication was explained by the emasculating stigma of ED help-seeking (Study 2). Finally, we found that honor-endorsing regions had significantly lower levels of ED prescription fills than nonhonor regions (Study 3). Findings suggest that honor-endorsing men are not willing to seek medication for ED symptoms due to the threat to masculinity that help-seeking poses.