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Tools · Self-assessment

The erectile-function self-check

This is the IIEF-5— also called the SHIM — a five-question screen that clinicians use to gauge erectile function. It takes about two minutes. It won't diagnose anything; what it does is turn a vague worry into a number you can actually bring to a clinician, and point you at the right next step.

Answer for the past six months. Everything runs in your browser — your answers never leave your device.

Question 1 of 5

How do you rate your confidence that you could get and keep an erection?

Question 2 of 5

When you had erections with sexual stimulation, how often were they hard enough for penetration?

Question 3 of 5

During intercourse, how often were you able to keep your erection after you had entered your partner?

Question 4 of 5

During intercourse, how difficult was it to keep your erection until completion?

Question 5 of 5

When you attempted intercourse, how often was it satisfactory for you?
0 of 5 answered

Source & important note

The instrument is the 5-item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5 / SHIM): Rosen RC, et al. Int J Impot Res. 1999. Scoring bands follow the validated cut-points; see also StatPearls: Erectile Dysfunction.

A screening score is not a diagnosis and not medical advice. It can't examine you, and it can't see the cause. Diagnosis and treatment belong to a licensed clinician — the workup is how the cause actually gets found.

Common questions

What is a normal score on this test?

A score of 22 to 25 out of 25 falls in the range that does not indicate erectile dysfunction. 17–21 suggests mild difficulty, 12–16 mild-to-moderate, 8–11 moderate, and 5–7 severe. The score is a starting point for a conversation with a clinician, not a diagnosis.

Is this the same as the SHIM or IIEF-5?

Yes. This is the five-item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5), also called the Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) — a validated screening questionnaire developed by Rosen and colleagues in 1999 and used widely in clinical practice.

Does a low score mean something is wrong with my heart?

Not on its own — but it can be an early flag. Erectile tissue depends on healthy blood flow, so erectile difficulty sometimes appears years before a vascular or metabolic problem is diagnosed. That is a reason to get a workup, which also screens for those risks.

Are my answers saved or sent anywhere?

No. The questionnaire runs entirely in your browser and your answers never leave your device. Nothing is stored or transmitted.

I got a reassuring score but something still feels off. What now?

Trust that. The screen is a snapshot of the last six months, not a full evaluation. If something feels wrong, a workup is still the way to be sure — the score doesn't override your own experience.