Erectile dysfunction scare in his 20s? Singapore man panicked, then learned more and founded sexual health telemedicine clinic that’s expanded to Hong Kong
- Sean Low of Singapore found it ‘really confusing’ when he suffered erectile dysfunction (ED) scare in his 20s. He learned more – and founded a telehealth clinic
- The platform, Noah, takes the embarrassment out of consulting a doctor about ED or premature ejaculation. A Hong Kong doctor has tips for dealing with them too
Singaporean Sean Low has no problem talking about sex with his friends. But discussions on sexual health such as premature ejaculation (PE) or erectile dysfunction (ED) – the inability to keep an erection firm enough for sex – well, that’s a different story.
“There’s a lot of taboo and stigma surrounding premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction,” says Low via Zoom from the Australian city of Melbourne. “As an Asian man, you’re discouraged from talking about topics like that. It’s considered a sign of weakness and doesn’t fit with the macho culture.”
Low speaks from personal experience. A couple of years ago he suffered an ED scare – also referred to as impotence – and went into panic mode.
“I’d never experienced it before – or ever talked about it – so it was a really confusing time,” says the 26-year-old. “To be honest, I thought I was way too young to have that problem!” One of the most common sexual problems in men as they age is erectile dysfunction.
Low “consulted” Dr Google and was surprised to learn that all men have problems getting an erection at some stage in their lives. He was also surprised by just how complex male sexual arousal was – it’s a process that connects the brain, hormones, emotions, nerves, muscles and blood vessels.