Work stress is linked to sexual health complaints in Canadian men. That is the finding of a new survey by telehealth provider MedExpress Canada among more than a thousand men aged 18 and older. Men who experience high levels of stress at work report erectile dysfunction (ED) more often than their less-stressed colleagues.
What does the research show?
The MedExpress Canada survey ran from 13 to 16 July 2026 among more than 1,000 Canadian men. Of the respondents, 31 percent were Gen Z (18-29), 50 percent millennials (30-45) and 15 percent were between 46 and 61 years old.
Of the men surveyed, 36 percent say work stress had a negative effect on their sex life over the past year. About 38 percent said they avoided sex because they felt exhausted or stressed from work. According to the survey, men who experience high work stress report erectile dysfunction about two and a half times as often as their less-stressed colleagues. This is a survey-based association (correlation); the research does not demonstrate a proven causal mechanism between work stress and ED.
What do experts say?
Dr. Karim Vellani, Chief Medical Officer of MedExpress Canada and a family physician with about fourteen years of experience, sees in practice that men often do not connect their erectile problems with work stress. They are more likely to think of relationship problems, age or cardiovascular risks, he says. According to Vellani, stigma plays a role: men generally find it difficult to talk about stress and mental health, which means the link with ED often goes unnoticed. The survey also found that 58 percent of men would seek treatment sooner if ED were framed as a stress or burnout issue rather than as a purely sexual problem.
What can employers do?
Vellani advises employers to create low-threshold channels through which employees can raise stress before complaints escalate. Think of safe conversations about stress and accessible employee assistance programs (EAPs). By making stress and burnout easier to discuss, he says, employers can recognize signals that would otherwise go unnoticed.
Context
The findings fit into broader research on the health risks of work stress. According to a report by the International Labour Organization (ILO), published in April 2026, more than 840,000 deaths worldwide each year are linked to psychosocial risks at work, such as long working hours, job insecurity, and bullying or harassment. According to the report, these risks are mainly linked to cardiovascular disease and mental health conditions. Sexual health is not addressed separately in those ILO figures, but they show that the health consequences of work stress extend beyond psychological well-being.
For employers and policymakers worldwide, these findings suggest that work stress is linked not only to absenteeism or burnout, but potentially also to employees’ physical and sexual health. That makes early detection of stress and accessible support relevant for employers in every country, not only in Canada.
Source: Work stress linked to sexual health issues in Canadian men, October 20, 2026
Additional research: report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) on psychosocial risks at work (April 2026), as reported by Euronews and HR Executive.
