Too young for this — which is exactly why he told no one

Every article Tom found seemed aimed at men his father's age. At 38, with a gym habit and a startup job, the pattern he was noticing didn't fit the picture — so he decided it must be temporary and told no one, including his girlfriend, who drew her own quieter conclusions.

Younger than the stereotype, not rare

ED in men under 40 is far more common than the stereotype suggests, and often has identifiable contributors — stress, sleep, alcohol, and sometimes early vascular or hormonal factors worth checking precisely because of age.

The check that reframed it

A telehealth provider took his age seriously in the right way: full medication and lifestyle review, direct questions about sleep and stress, and a plan — plus a recommendation to get baseline labs with his regular doctor. “Being young turned out to be a reason to deal with it properly, not a reason it couldn't be happening.”