Sexual Health

January 17th, 2009

Fact #8: Sexual Health Is a Lifelong Developmental Process Your health as a sexual man is a lifelong process. Sex can be a positive, integral part of your life at every stage. You are sexual from the day you are born to the day you die. Realize that your sexuality is a lifelong, progressive, and developmental process. It changes as you go through your life—from boyhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle age, and older. Your sexuality as a 15-, 25-, 45-, 65-, or 85-year-old has both underlying similarities and also diff erences. We can be sexually healthy at each stage of our lives. “To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life.”—Robert Louis Stevenson Th e best research indicates that the quality of sex—like fi ne wine—improves with age. If you take good care of your psychological, physical, and relationship health, lifelong sexual satisfaction is a realistic expectation.

Fact #9: There Are Many Barriers to Healthy Sex Detrimental messages, stereotypes, and erroneous beliefs about men and sex can set you up for sexual self-doubts, dysfunction, and dissatisfaction. Th e quiz you took earlier presented common myths. Some incorrect stereotypes include “Good women really don’t like sex” or it’s antithesis, “Hot women expect perfect sex performance”; others, “Great sex is what you see in porn videos” or “Marital sex is inevitably boring and mediocre.” Do not be duped by such damaging messages—recognize where they come from. Don’t get faked out! Pay attention to positive sexuality. Th e following sources can undermine your sexual health.

Viagra Myth

January 10th, 2009

Fact: Erections often wax and wane during sex, especially in men over forty. This is normal and no cause for alarm. Don’t become so stressed that you can’t get hard again. If an erection subsides, relax, breathe deeply, and ask for more penis fondling. Your erection should return.

Myth 21: I lost it last time; I’ll never get it up again. Fact: If you miss a shot in basketball, does it mean you’ll never make another. Of course not. Reasons you might not get it up from time to time include exhaustion, alcohol and stress.

Myth 22: With age, all men develop ED. Fact: Erection difficulties become much more common with age, but even among men over 70, severe ED affects only a minority. ED is not an inevitable part of aging. Treatment for Psychological Causes of ED Treatments for psychological causes of ED generally fall under the following categories: Counseling Psychotherapy Sex therapy Erection-inducing drugs to help ‘kick-start’ the man back into action Hypnosis Counseling Professional counseling is often recommended because ED can frequently result from depression or from a combination of psychological and physical factors. Counseling can serve to lessen anxiety, which may reduce the impact and duration of ED. Therapy is often used in combination with other treatments directed by a physician

Buying Viagra

December 17th, 2008

Study findings released by The Journal of Urology in September, 2005 found a predictive link between a condition known as the metabolic syndrome and erectile dysfunction in men with a body mass index less than 25. (Buying Viagra,Body mass index [BMI] is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both adult men and women.) The metabolic syndrome is characterized by central obesity, insulin dysregulation, abnormal lipids and borderline hypertension, and is a precursor state for cardiovascular disease. The study found that erectile dysfunction was predictive of the metabolic syndrome only in men with body mass index less than 25. This finding suggests that erectile dysfunction may provide a warning sign and an opportunity for early intervention in men otherwise considered at lower risk for the metabolic syndrome and subsequent cardiovascular disease. In January 2005, The Epicenter for Sexual Health & Medicine, University of Minnesota School of Medicine, published the following: “Erectile dysfunction is common and has long been considered a secondary complication of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. However, a growing body of evidence challenges this view, suggesting instead that ED is an early manifestation of atherosclerosis and a precursor to systemic vascular disease. Endothelial dysfunction is the etiologic factor linking ED and cardiovascular disease. “ “The recognition of ED as an early sign of systemic cardiovascular disease offers an opportunity for prevention, particularly in high-risk and underserved minority populations. …all men 25 years old and older regardless of sexual dysfunction complaints should be asked about ED. The presence of ED should prompt an aggressive assessment for cardiovascular risk and occult systemic vascular disease.

Anatomy of a Healthy Erection — How it Works

Achieving and maintaining a healthy, firm erection throughout sexual activity is among the most wonderful experiences a man can have in his life. It reaffirms his identity, virility, ability to pleasure his partner and himself, but most importantly, his ability to naturally father a child. So how does it all work. What magic causes the penis to stiffen, sensitivity to heighten, and climax in ejaculation and exquisite sexual pleasure. First, some penis anatomy is in order…

Penis Structure

The penis is composed of three primary components that account for much of its shape and size: a pair of parallel spongy columns called the corpus cavernosum; and the lower-central corpus spongiosum, which contains the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the body, and transports semen during ejaculation. All three regions are made up of erectile tissue, comprised of many tiny blood vessels called cavernous sinuses. The sinuses are surrounded by smooth muscles and supported by elastic fibrous tissue