OBJECTIVETo discuss the factors that affect the clinical application of sex therapy for erectile dysfunction (ED).

METHODSUrological researchers recommended free sex therapy to ED patients and their partners in the outpatient department and studied the factors affecting the patients of Medicaid their partnersology, acceptance of sex therapy by interview and observation.

RESULTSMany patients refused sex therapy. Only 11 pairs of volunteers underwent it, of whom 5 pairs gave up halfway, 1 pair were stopped by the therapist due to the breakup of their marriage, and merely 5 pairs accomplished the whole course. Among the 5 pairs of quitters, 2 pairs thought of their problem as organic and turned to drug therapy, 1 pair withdrew because the patient's girlfriend broke up with him, 1 pair gave up because they lived in another city too far away from the clinic, and the other pair discontinued because they could not spare the time from their work.

CONCLUSIONSMany factors affect the clinical application of sex therapy for ED in China. Apart from the shortage of qualified professional sex therapists, some factors from the patients and their partners are at work, such as stress of work, lack of time, home location, education background, relationship between the patient and his partner, attitude to sex therapy, and so on.