Getting Veterans (VA) Disability for Erectile Dysfunction

CCK Law: Our Vital Role in Veterans Law
For many veterans, erectile dysfunction (ED) is a condition that can stand in the way of a happy, fulfilling life. The good news is, depending on the cause of your ED, you may be entitled to monthly compensation from Veterans Affairs (VA).
If you developed this condition as a result of your military service, you may qualify to receive VA disability for erectile dysfunction. This article will explore how to obtain an erectile dysfunction VA rating.
In this article, you will learn:
- How to establish service connection for erectile dysfunction
- What benefits accompany a VA rating for erectile dysfunction
- How Special Monthly Compensation works for erectile dysfunction
- And more
Service Connection: How Can I Obtain VA Disability for Erectile Dysfunction?
To obtain VA disability benefits for erectile dysfunction, you must show that you developed the condition as a result of a specific event, illness, or injury that occurred during your military service. This is known as service connection.
Examples include (but are not limited to):
- a physical injury involving trauma to the genital region
- an event that caused psychological trauma resulting in the loss of sexual function
- medication for service-connected anxiety that has the side effect of erectile dysfunction
There are two types of service connections: direct service connection and secondary service connection.
Direct Service Connection for Erectile Dysfunction
Direct service connection is when you can prove that your erectile dysfunction was directly caused by or worsened by your military service. To establish service connection for erectile dysfunction, you must provide proof of each of the following:
- A current diagnosis from a medical professional
- An injury, illness, or event that occurred during your military service
- A medical nexus (i.e., link) that demonstrates the cause-and-effect relationship between your ED diagnosis and the in-service event that may have caused it
Medical records and service records are usually the best forms of evidence to provide to ensure your VA claim is as strong as it can be. When it comes to establishing the medical nexus, it is often valuable to obtain a letter from a VA provider or personal physician claiming your ED is “at least as likely as not” caused by the in-service injury or event.
To further bolster your VA claim, it may also help to provide lay statements, such as buddy statements from fellow veterans who witnessed your in-service injury.
Secondary service connection for Erectile Dysfunction
Additionally, you may be able to win service connection for your erectile dysfunction on a secondary basis.
If you have already established a service-connected condition with VA—such as diabetes or prostate cancer—and that condition (or its treatment) goes on to cause or worsen your erectile dysfunction, then you may be able to medically link your ED with that other condition and receive VA benefits for it. This is known as secondary service connection.
Some conditions that can cause erectile dysfunction:
- Sleep apnea
- High blood pressure
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Obesity caused by a service-connected condition
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Multiple sclerosis
- Heart disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Alcoholism
- Prostate cancer
- Diabetes
- Side effects of certain medications
If you already have a VA rating for any of the above conditions, you may be able to argue with VA that your erectile dysfunction is a result of this primary condition and thereby gain extra monthly compensation for it.
To prove secondary service connection, you typically need evidence of a primary service condition and a medical opinion linking this primary condition to your ED.

What Are the Erectile Dysfunction VA Ratings?
For most conditions, once service connection is established, VA will usually grant you a VA rating from 0 to 100 percent. Depending on your rating, you will receive a corresponding amount of compensation each month.
Unfortunately, there is no specific disability rating for erectile dysfunction. Instead, VA rates the condition under 38 C.F.R. § 4.115b. Examples of erectile dysfunction related listings include:
- Code 7520: If doctors removed half or more than half of your penis, you receive a rating of 30 percent.
- Code 7521: If doctors removed your glans, your rating is 20 percent.
- Code 7522: If your penis cannot become erect because of a physical deformity, you receive a 20 percent rating.
- Code 7523: If your ED is due to atrophied testicles, a condition often resulting in reduced testosterone and thus a lower sex drive, you receive a 20 percent rating if the condition affects both testicles, and a 0 percent rating if it affects only one testicle.
- Code 7524: If you had both testicles removed due to a service-connected event, you receive a 30 percent rating; if you had one testicle removed due to a service-connected event, you receive a 0 percent rating.
Generally, the VA will grant a 0 percent rating for ED unless you are eligible under the diagnostic codes above. Though a 0 percent rating may sound unhelpful, there are actually multiple benefits that veterans can receive with a “noncompensable” rating.
What Is the VA Disability Pay for an Erectile Dysfunction VA Rating?
As of December 1st, 2024, the VA disability rate benefit amounts are as follows:
- 0 percent disability rating: $0.00 per month
- 10 percent disability rating: $175.51 per month
- 20 percent disability rating: $346.95 per month
- 30 percent disability rating: $537.42 per month
- 40 percent disability rating: $774.16 per month
- 50 percent disability rating: $1,102.04 per month
- 60 percent disability rating: $1,395.93 per month
- 70 percent disability rating: $1,759.19 per month
- 80 percent disability rating: $2,044.89 per month
- 90 percent disability rating: $2,297.96 per month
- 100 percent disability rating: $3,831.30 per month
If you combine this graph with the ratings in the prior section, you can see that it is possible for veterans to receive substantial VA compensation for erectile dysfunction.

VA Special Monthly Compensation for Erectile Dysfunction
Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) is a type of financial benefit awarded by VA to veterans with specific or severe disabilities. VA uses SMC to provide additional or higher compensation to veterans whose conditions necessitate extra support.
Erectile dysfunction, even at 0 percent, may qualify for SMC Level K (also known as SMC(k)), for loss of use of a creative organ. Unlike most SMC levels, which replace regular VA compensation, Level K allows veterans to be compensated in addition to regular VA disability, as well as in addition to other SMC levels.
For 2025, SMC(k) compensation amounts to $136.06 a month, paid out in your monthly VA check.
Learn more about SMC(k) on our YouTube channel.
Call Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick Today for Your Free Case Evaluation
VA often applies erectile dysfunction rules inconsistently. If you disagree with a VA decision—such as your VA claim being incorrectly denied—the experienced and accredited advocates at Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick may be able to help. Call us today at (800) 544-9144 to discuss your case for free, or contact us online.
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