Home › Conditions › Secondary claims › Erectile Dysfunction ← PTSD or Its Medication
A secondary claim is a condition caused or worsened by one the VA has already service-connected (38 CFR 3.310). The causation fight is already half-won — the VA agreed your ptsd or its medication came from service; the question is only whether it caused or aggravated the erectile dysfunction. That's a medical question with a recognized answer.
The connection
Both the condition and its treatment can cause ED: PTSD itself affects intimacy and function, and SSRIs/SNRIs — the standard medications — list sexual dysfunction among their most common side effects. The rating is usually 0%, and that is precisely the point most veterans miss: a 0% grant triggers Special Monthly Compensation (SMC-K), an automatic additional monthly payment most eligible veterans never claim.
How the VA rates erectile dysfunction
DC 7522 — Erectile dysfunction, with or without penile deformity
| Rating | Criteria (38 CFR Part 4 wording) |
|---|---|
| 0% | Erectile dysfunction (a 0 percent schedular rating) — and entitlement to special monthly compensation (SMC-K) for loss of use of a creative organ under 38 CFR 3.350(a) |
The money is in SMC-K, a flat monthly add-on paid on top of the combined rating, not in the schedular percentage. The 2021 revision removed the old 20 percent "with deformity" level.
ED is most often service-connected as secondary — to PTSD/depression and their medications (SSRIs), to diabetes, to hypertension and its medications, or to prostate treatment.
Full criteria, exam and evidence guide: VA rating for Erectile Dysfunction. And the anchor: VA rating for PTSD, Depression and Anxiety.
What the claim needs — the three legs
- The anchor: service connection for the ptsd or its medication (see how that condition is rated). Not connected yet? File both in the same claim — the VA decides the anchor first, then the secondary against it.
- A current diagnosis of erectile dysfunction — the VA rates diagnosed conditions. If you only have the symptoms, file them anyway: the C&P exam supplies the diagnosis, and a "no diagnosis" denial is repaired with a supplemental claim that keeps your date.
- The medical link. An opinion stating it is "at least as likely as not" that the ptsd or its medication caused or aggravated the erectile dysfunction. The VA's own C&P examiner supplies this free in most cases; your own doctor can too. A paid independent opinion is the answer to a denial, not the first move.
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See If You Qualify →Frequently asked questions
Can I claim erectile dysfunction secondary to ptsd or its medication?
Yes, if three things hold: the ptsd or its medication (or its equivalent) is service-connected, you have a current diagnosis of erectile dysfunction, and a medical opinion connects the two. The connection described on this page is a recognized pathway raters see regularly.
Do I need to pay for a nexus letter for erectile dysfunction secondary to ptsd or its medication?
Usually not. The VA's own C&P examiner can supply the connecting opinion at your exam for free, and your own treating doctor can also provide it. A paid independent opinion is worth buying only after a denial for lack of nexus — a supplemental claim within one year keeps the original effective date.
What if the primary condition isn't service-connected yet?
File them together in the same claim. The VA decides the primary first and then the secondary against it in the same decision; a secondary filed alone against a condition the VA has not connected fails. Filing both at once under one Intent to File protects the effective date for both.
Last reviewed 2026-09-19.