Doc, You’re Ruining My Sex Life!

May 30, 2026

The Red Light on the Dashboard: Why I Built Medome Men

"Just give me the Viagra, doc."

A patient once said that to me.

His erections had gotten softer, and he wanted me to prescribe Viagra, or sildenafil, the generic version, so he could "get back in the game."

I said no.

Not because I enjoy disappointing my patients. That is not smart. It is also a terrible business model.

I said no because erections usually change for a reason. Some of those reasons include drugs like anti-depressants and beta-blockers, low testosterone, alcohol, etc. But I learned it could be something worse. Before I would give him a pill for his problem, I wanted him checked by a cardiologist to make sure something heart related was not going on.

He refused to go.

So I refused to prescribe.

Here is why.

The Mechanic Who Wanted to Turn Off the Warning Light

When I was 9 years old, my father drove an old used car. One day, while we were driving, a red warning light popped up on the dashboard. My father pulled into a gas station and asked the mechanic to take a look.

The mechanic said, "Sure. I can turn off the red light."

Even at 9, I knew that was ridiculous.

Turning off the warning light does not fix the problem. It just makes the problem easy to ignore.

Years later, I realized medicine often does the same thing.

High blood pressure? Add a pill.

Still high? Add another pill.

Still high? Congratulations, now you collect them.

I used to ask patients, "How is your blood pressure?"

They would say, "Great."

And I would say, "Great??? You are on five blood pressure medications. That is not great. That is a hostage negotiation."

The point was not to mock my patients. The point was to help them understand the difference between controlling a number and fixing the reason the number is bad in the first place.

Back to Erections and My Patient

I was not going to turn off his red light without better understanding why it turned on in the first place. That's just bad medicine.

Today, there are so many online pill pushers that will give you anything you want — for ED, hair, weight loss, whatever — regardless of the potential harm from not first properly evaluating the problem. Erections are a perfect example.

Yes, aging can play a role in softening erections, especially after 60. But softer erections can also be a major warning sign of reduced blood flow. The arteries in the penis are small. That means they may show signs of clogging trouble before the larger arteries in the heart do.

In plain English: your body may whisper before it screams.

⚠️ For some men, erectile dysfunction shows up years before serious heart problems — some experts say as little as 3 years before.
Not always. But often enough that ignoring it is a really bad plan. The right move when erections change is not a quick prescription from an online pill pusher. It's a real conversation with a real doctor, with the basics checked: blood pressure, cholesterol, fasting glucose, A1c, sometimes a cardiac workup. The pill might still be the right answer. But you want to know what's behind the warning light before you turn it off.

Why This Got Personal

And I say this with humility, because I ignored my own signs.

I am a physician. I should have known better. But like many men, I delayed. I explained things away. I waited too long.

Fool that I am, I paid the price.

But it wasn't only me. Three of the most important men in my life did the same. After losing my father and two brothers — one of them a cardiologist — to preventable diseases, I became obsessed with a question:

How do we help men pay attention before it is too late?

Men die on average 6 years earlier than women, at a 38% higher rate.

That question eventually led to Medome Men.

What Medome Men Is

After 5.5 years of research, all at Stanford and Harvard, 5 years of development, and 2 years of testing with thousands of people, Medome Men launches June 7.

It is built for men who want to navigate their lives better, privately and intelligently.

It helps you notice what is changing, understand what may matter, and take action before small issues become big ones.

Track morning erections. Learn when something may be off.
Check your testicles properly. Testicular cancer runs from 18 onwards with most cases before 40.
Understand any and all risks. Know how to act on them.
Prepare for doctor visits. Record appointments, miss nothing, get a second opinion.
Improve grooming. Be more attractive.
Build better habits. Take on challenges alone or with friends.
Get personalized AI coaching that actually fits how you think.
Set goals you can meet.

Want to speak with a doctor? You can.

Want to understand a symptom without falling into a late-night internet panic spiral? You can.

Want to look better, feel stronger, perform better, and stay ahead of the things men usually ignore? That is the point.

Medome Men is private, secure, and built for real men with real lives. HIPAA protected. Not admissible in court as protected under doctor-patient privilege.