A look at sexual problems experienced by men, including impotence and
premature ejaculation.
Impotence
What is it? Impotence is an inability
to attain or maintain an erection. Some men can never achieve erections,
others find their erections fade as they reach orgasm, while still others
experience erections that are insufficiently stiff to penetrate their
partner. Although the rate of impotence increases with age, there is a
high incidence of the condition amongst young gay men when compared to
their straight peers. This is believed to be related to psychological
issues.
Why does it occur? If you can achieve
normal erections at some times (eg. when asleep; there is a machine which
can test this), your impotence is probably psychological in nature. If
you can only ever achieve weak erections, a physiological cause probably
lies at the root of your problem. Physiological causes include vascular
problems, nerve damage, hormone abnormalities and the use of certain drugs.
Treatment The first step in diagnosing
the cause of the condition is to have your blood sugar, cholesterol and
blood pressure checked by a doctor. You may then need to visit a urologist
for further evaluation. Impotence can be treated by medication, usually
with the famed drug Viagra. It can be prevented by keeping blood sugar,
blood pressue and cholesterol under control.
Premature Ejaculation
What is it? Under normal circumstances,
ejaculation should occur within three to five minutes of continuous thrusting
during penetrative sex. If you come sooner than that on a regular basis,
you probably suffer from premature ejaculation. However, the condition
is often sporadic in nature, and can arise and go away again seemingly
at random.
Why does it occur? Premature ejaculation
is widely regarded as being a psychological condition. Stress and anxiety
may contribute to its occurrance.
Treatment A technique called ‘desensitization’
is widely employed to cure the condition. This involves teaching the sufferer
to prolong the time it takes them to achieve orgasm. This is done by repeatedly
stimulating the penis until ejaculation feels imminent, but stopping before
it occurs. The penis is thus desensitized. The use of a condom and anaesthetic
creams can also decrease sensitivity. Other treatment methods include
sex therapy and medication (usually anti-depressants).
Retrograde Ejaculation
What is it? Failure to ejaculate can
occur for various reasons, but most often it happens because of retrograde
ejaculation. This happens when semen travels to the bladder instead of
coming out of the penis. Under normal conditions, nerves tell a muscle
at the entrance of the bladder to close during ejaculation. Should the
muscle not close, the semen goes into the bladder. It should be understood
that those affected by retrograde ejaculation can still achieve orgasm;
the semen just doesn’t travel out of the penis.
Why does it occur? Retrograde ejaculation
occurs usually because of nerve disease or damage. Nerve disease which
can contribute to retrograde ejaculation include diabetes and multiple
sclerosis. Damage to the pelvic nerves is also a frequent complication
of prostate surgery.
Treatment Retrograde ejaculation is
not easily treatable. If the condition is caused by nerve diseases like
diabetes or MS, then treatment of those diseases may cure the problem.
If retrograde ejaculation occurs because of surgery, it is unlikely that
the condition will improve. However, counselling may be of benefit.
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