Work Stress and Erectile Dysfunction: How Job Pressure May Affect Testosterone, Cortisol and Health
This is important because workplace stress is not simply a matter of how many hours someone works.
Two employees can work the same number of hours and experience very different levels of psychological pressure. One may have considerable control over decisions, supportive management and good relationships with colleagues. Another may face constant supervision, little autonomy, poor managerial support and intense competition for promotion.
The study attempted to capture these differences.
Erectile function was evaluated using the International Index of Erectile Function-5, commonly known as the IIEF-5. Researchers also measured serum cortisol, testosterone and other hormones.
The results showed a nonlinear dose-response relationship between workplace psychological stress and erectile function.
In other words, as workplace stress increased, erectile function tended to become worse.
How Common Was Erectile Dysfunction in the Highest-Stress Group?
One of the most widely reported findings from the research was the difference between the highest- and lowest-stress groups.
Among men in the highest workplace-stress group, 54.37% had erectile dysfunction according to the study’s assessment.
In comparison, the prevalence was approximately 8.21% in the lowest-stress group.
After adjustment for several factors, the odds of erectile dysfunction in the highest-stress group were approximately 10 times higher than in the lowest-stress group, with an adjusted odds ratio of 10.26.
This does not mean that a man who experiences workplace stress has a 10-fold personal certainty of developing erectile dysfunction.
An odds ratio is a statistical measure comparing groups. It should not be interpreted as an individual’s personal probability.
It is also important to understand that this was a study of a specific population: full-time working men aged 22 to 40 in China.
The findings therefore should not automatically be assumed to apply identically to older men, women, unemployed people, different occupations or populations in other countries.
Nevertheless, the magnitude of the association makes the findings noteworthy.
Why Could Workplace Stress Affect Erectile Function?
An erection is not controlled by a single body system.
Sexual arousal and erection involve communication between the brain, hormones, nerves, blood vessels, psychological processes and sexual stimulation. Problems affecting any of these systems can interfere with erectile function.
Stress can potentially affect several of these systems simultaneously.
When a person experiences prolonged psychological stress, the body activates systems designed to respond to perceived threats. One of the major systems involved is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, commonly referred to as the HPA axis.
The HPA axis is involved in regulating the body’s response to stress.
Cortisol is one of the hormones associated with this response.
In short-term situations, the stress response can be useful. It helps the body respond to challenges.
The problem arises when psychological stress becomes persistent.
Long working hours, constant deadlines, difficult supervisors, fear of job loss, workplace conflict and pressure to advance professionally can create repeated or prolonged stress.
The 2026 study suggests that this chronic workplace stress may be associated with changes in cortisol and testosterone that coincide with worsening erectile function.
