Penis health maintenance is multi-faceted, meaning that there are many areas a man wants to pay attention to. For example, there’s the state of the penis skin, blood circulation within the penis and surrounding areas, semen production, erectile function, urinary tract conditions, penis odor, and much more. And sometimes one penis health issue can have an effect on another. For example, some studies suggest that a common skin condition, namely psoriasis, could potentially have an effect on erectile function.

What is psoriasis?

Most people know psoriasis is a skin condition, but they may know little more about it than that. According to the Mayo Clinic, it is a "skin condition that speeds up the life cycle of skin cells…causing cells to build up rapidly on the surface of the skin. The extra skin cells form scales and red patches that are itchy and sometimes painful." Psoriasis is a chronic condition that stays for a while, goes away and usually comes back again - often many times. It can’t be cured at this time, but there are ways of managing it.

Psoriasis is a common disorder, affecting some 7.5 million people in America and 125 million people across the globe.

Erectile dysfunction

A 2013 study from Taiwan looked at more than 12,000 men who had recently been diagnosed with psoriasis. These were matched with more than 61,000 men without psoriasis. The entire cohort was studied for seven years. During that time the 2.34% of the men who did not have psoriasis developed erectile dysfunction. Among the group with psoriasis, the figure was 3.03%. When variables were taken into account, it was found that a man with psoriasis was 1.27 times more likely to have erectile dysfunction than one without.

Another study, this one from 2017, of more than 1,700,000 Danish men also found a greater likelihood of erectile dysfunction in men with psoriasis - this time it was about 1.15 times as likely.

What’s the link?

Why should there be a link? There appear to be two main reasons: cardiovascular health and depression.

Although the scientific community is in disagreement about why this should be, for more than 40 years there has been evidence that people with psoriasis are at a greater risk of cardiovascular disease. This can have a direct effect on penis health and erectile dysfunction; if the heart is not healthy, it has a harder time pumping the blood needed to attain and maintain a healthy erection. In addition, heart conditions usually come with blood vessel constrictions, which similarly impede the flow of blood to the penis.

Scientists have also noted a higher rate of depression among people with psoriasis. This often has to do with feelings that the skin condition is affecting their physical appearance and desirability. One study, for example, found that straight men suffering from psoriasis had a lesser frequency of oral sex than those without, while another found that even when the psoriasis was not on the genitals, it contributed to sexual dysfunction and feelings of depression.

Clearly, not all men with psoriasis experience erectile dysfunction. But men may want to speak with a doctor about managing psoriasis to avoid the issue.

Itching associated with psoriasis may be lessened if the penis skin is kept moisturized, so using a superior penis health creme (health professionals recommend Man1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin) can help. A creme with both a high-end emollient (such as Shea butter) and a natural hydrator (such as vitamin E) is best. Also, be sure the crème contains a potent antioxidant, such as alpha lipoic acid. This helps fight excess free radicals that can cause oxidative stress damage to the penis skin.