Two Pints with Will & Ralf: What your erection says about your health

Men’s health isn’t always an easy topic - but when Two Pints with Will & Ralf get talking, it suddenly feels like one worth bringing up.

In the latest episode, made in collaboration with Numan, Dr Dave - one of Numan’s experienced men’s health doctors - Will and Ralf returned to talk about a topic most men avoid: erectile dysfunction (ED).

It’s the sort of topic that prompts a nervous joke and a quick change of subject. But beneath the humour, the message was serious. As Will put it: “Men are never going to say to their mates, ‘I’m having trouble getting a boner.’ That’s not a conversation.”

And that’s exactly why it needs to be one.

The truth behind the jokes

Erectile dysfunction is often treated as a punchline, but for many men, it’s an early warning sign of something bigger. Dr Dave put it plainly: “I wouldn’t call erections a window to your soul, but they’re a really good window to your health.”

He explained that regular morning erections, something many men take for granted in their younger years, are one of the strongest indicators of good hormonal and cardiovascular health. “If you’re waking up with one, that’s a great sign,” he said. “If you’re not, it might mean your testosterone or blood flow isn’t where it should be.”

Erections rely on healthy blood flow and balanced hormones, and if those start to falter, it can signal deeper problems like low testosterone or narrowing arteries. “The blood vessels that supply the penis are smaller than the ones that supply your heart,” Dr Dave said. “If those start getting blocked, it could be the canary in the coal mine for heart disease.”

In other words: a faltering erection isn’t just about performance. It’s about health.

When biology meets confidence

Ralf admitted the topic hits closer to home than most men would like to admit. “If I had issues down there, I know exactly how I’d feel,” he said. “You’d just want to hide it.”

That sense of embarrassment keeps many men silent. Yet, as Dr Dave pointed out, “If you can’t remember the last time you woke up with a morning erection, or if you’ve noticed changes, it’s worth getting checked. The earlier we spot it, the easier it is to fix.”

While performance anxiety can play a role for younger men, Dr Dave explained that in midlife, the causes are usually physical. “For guys in their forties and fifties, it’s rarely about stress or confidence, and it’s more likely to be hormonal or vascular.”

He also emphasised the importance of looking at the whole picture: lifestyle, hormones, and underlying health. “Smoking, alcohol, stress, lack of sleep; all of these affect blood flow and testosterone. The solution isn’t always a pill; sometimes it’s about getting to the root cause.”

“Don’t just paint over the cracks”

Naturally, the lads wanted to know what happens next if a man does have ED.

“There are tablets that can help, of course,” said Dr Dave, referring to medications like the well-known “little blue pill” (sildenafil) and its longer-lasting alternative (tadalafil). “They work really well for a lot of men. But at Numan, we don’t just want to hand out a pill and send you on your way. We want to understand what’s behind it.”

That’s where testing comes in. Numan’s at-home blood tests can check for key markers, including testosterone, cholesterol, and blood sugar, all of which can influence erectile health.

“If it’s low testosterone, we can treat that,” Dr Dave continued. “If it’s cardiovascular, we can look at lifestyle and medication. The point is, we don’t just cover up the symptoms, we fix the cause.”

Will, ever the straight talker, nodded. “Like you said, mate, it’s no good painting over the cracks if the wall’s falling down.”

Why this conversation matters

It might sound like an odd mix - a conversation about erections, comedy, and medical insight - but that’s exactly what makes it work. By laughing at themselves, Will and Ralf make it easier for men to face something most would rather ignore.

Dr Dave brought the science, they brought the honesty, and together they proved that conversations about men’s health don’t need to be uncomfortable. They just need to happen.

As Dr Dave put it, “Don’t suffer in silence. You can joke about it as much as you want, but ignoring it helps no one. If something feels off, get it checked.”

The numan take

Erectile dysfunction is one of the most common and most misunderstood men’s health issues. It can signal hormonal imbalance, cardiovascular disease, or simply the need for lifestyle change. Whatever the cause, getting checked is the first step toward taking control.