The Unspoken Complication: Diabetes and Erectile Dysfunction Diabetes is a global health topic, discussed in doctor's offices, public health campaigns, and at dinner tables. Yet, one of its most common and impactful complications, erectile dysfunction (ED), often remains in the shadows. This is a silence that belies the scale of the issue: ED affects more than 50% of men with diabetes, appearing over three times more often than in men without the condition. The connection bet