An Overview of the International Index of Erectile Function

What is the International Index of Erectile Function, or the IIEF? Because male sexual impotence is a sensitive matter that can be difficult to discuss, health professionals have developed a standardized tool that helps doctor and patient communicate in an open and honest manner that may not otherwise be possible. The IIEF was produced to create a sensitive, discrete yet specific way to talk about male sexual dysfunction. The IIEF has been tested and is now practiced in several languages. It has proven an effective way to deal with the problem of talking about male sexual dysfunction. The IIEF is constructed in a 15-question model that analyzes five different domains. The five domains that the IIEF examines are erectile function, sexual desire, intercourse satisfaction and global satisfaction. A subset of the IIEF called the IIEF-5 is another development designed to help health professionals draw up a patient's sexual health inventory.

The IIEF is a helpful tool that clinician's can use to screen patients and diagnose male sexual dysfunction. Because so many men are hesitant to visit the doctor and discuss their sexual dysfunction, the IIEF-5 has proven a most helpful tool for getting men to talk openly about their concerns and problems. The first question of the IIEF-5 asks the patient about their feeling of confidence (or lack thereof) in their ability to achieve and maintain an erection. The second question of the IIEF-5 asks the patient to describe the nature of their erections. This question helps the clinician determine the precise nature of the problem. For instance, the patient may be asked if their erections have been hard enough for penetration. The third question of the IIEF-5 asks the patient how long they are able to maintain an erection after penetration of their partner, if they have been able to achieve penetration. The fourth question of the IIEF-5 asks the patient to describe the difficulty of maintaining an erection throughout the sexual encounter. If the patient was able to achieve an erection, the clinician needs to know how difficult was it to maintain it, and if it was indeed possible to maintain through the completion of the encounter. The fifth and final question has to do with the patient's satisfaction of sexual intercourse. The clinician asks the patient if they find their sexual encounters satisfactory.

Once the clinician has gone through all the requisite questions of the IIEF or the IIEF-5, they should have a much clearer idea of the problem. These questions are designed to get as much specific information and description from the patient as possible. Because the IIEF and IIEF-5 are so standardized, the possibility that diagnoses become more standardized becomes possible. When the patient is open and honest about their experience with sexual dysfunction problems during the course of the IIEF or IIEF-5, the physician will have a much better understanding of the patient's problem. Many times, it helps if the clinician who is screening the patient describes the purpose of the IIEF or IIEF-5 to the patient before getting started.

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