50% of men in the U.S. will experience sexual performance issues at some point in their lives. Everyone is aware that these problems exist, but nobody ever talks about it. Recently, I found myself in this situation and it was very difficult to get through. My partner and I have been married for 16 years. We have a strong relationship and have always had a healthy sex life. So when things started changing in the bedroom, neither of us knew how to deal with it. Instead of talking about it, we stopped having sex altogether. My friends and I talk about everything, but this seemed like the one topic that was off limits. I felt very alone and wasn't sure where to turn. Luckily, I confided in my doctor and she advised me on how to approach erectile dysfunction with my husband, to get him the help he needed.

When I first brought it up, he tried his best to deflect. It only happened sometimes and when it did happen there was a good excuse. When we would try to be intimate and he couldn't perform, he would say he was tired or stressed out from work. I let it go because the next time we were together, everything was fine. But over the next few months, the ED started happening more frequently and we both pulled back. I began to fear that we would never have sex again.

I decided I needed to do more research on my own so that we could fix things together. What I learned is that ED can often be an early warning sign of much more serious health problems including diabetes and heart disease. Like any health problem, he needed to get medical advice. I found out it was a normal problem that a lot of people face and is easily treatable.

I brought it up one night, shared what I had learned, and addressed it as a health issue. I explained that I was worried about him and I wanted him to see a doctor. What if this was a precursor to a more serious health issue? And if not, why shouldn't we seek treatment? We both wanted to have sex and if someone could help us, why would we choose to hide behind the stigma? The more we talked about it, the less awkward it was, but now the issue was that my husband didn't want to talk to his doctor. He said he didn't feel comfortable talking to anyone else about it. That's when I found out about Roman -- an online service that my doctor had mentioned, which is the easiest way to receive treatment for ED.

He went to Roman's site right from our couch and walked through the survey. He answered a few medical questions including his blood pressure and whether he was on any other medication. He was also prompted to upload a picture and his license to confirm his identity. Within 2 hours a licensed doctor contacted him to determine if it was safe to write a prescription. It was, and the next day Roman shipped him medication. He had the option to choose from medication like Viagra, Cialis, or the generic version based on the doctors recommendation. His doctor even reassured us that it was okay to call him back if we had any questions after he started the medication.

The good news is the pills work and we've started having sex again. To others struggling with ED, it's important to seek medical advice, and if the doctor's visit is creating a barrier, try Roman - they make it so easy to get help. But most importantly talk to your partner, this is a health issue and Roman is making it easy to get help. Everyone wants to have a good sex life and there's no reason to let ED get in the way.