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A few months ago, I was interviewed by Yahoo News for an article on Erectile Dysfunction in young men. It was interesting to talk to
In western medicine, we often look for a simple cure to anything that ails us. We get sick, we take a pill. We have pain, we take a pill. We have ED, we take a pill. The problem is, real health care is often far more entangled and involved than that. Factors that can cause health problems may pose no threat on their own, but when piled up on each other may lead to some frustrating medical issues. The little stresses of life we subject our bodies to, all take their toll, including on our penis and its ability to function. After too much abuse, our body signals that it is giving up the fight. An holistic, lifestyle approach to treating ED can help the recovery and maintenance of a functioning penis.
One of the most common responses we see from men when they face sexual or erectile difficulties is simply avoidance. It makes sense. If sex has become frustrating, challenging, embarrassing, or humiliating, then why in the world would anyone continue trying to be sexual? Still, it remains a basic human need to be sexual, so even though sex may not be working the way we’re used to, or the way we’d like it to, we all still need to maintain both a solo sex life and an intimacy with our partners.
Sexual aids for men have always had a troubled existence. For decades, they have been associated with lurid porn shops in seedy parts of town. Sex toys and porn have been inextricably linked for far too long. The reality is that marital aids, as they are clinically called, can be a very valuable tool in helping restore and improve sexual performance in men.
In my work with men, I often ask if they ever use sex toys on themselves. I usually get a blank stare. Clearly I don’t get it. Toys, are meant to be used on the other person, right? That’s just how it works. Well, not exactly. Remember those childhood lessons on sharing? They apply to sex toys, too. When men hand over the toys to their partner and lets her use them on him – the new playground rules can be pretty fun!
Medical tests are funny things. They are a snap-shot of one single aspect of your body’s condition at a single moment in time. It isn’t until you have repeated at least a few medical tests and established a baseline for YOUR normal that the doctor has an idea of your health patterns. Of course, a single test that shows an extreme response or condition will result in some action on the part of the doctor. But it is extremely important to be aware of daily activity that can affect outcome of tests.
Communication is the most critical aspect of the doctor/patient relationship. This seems obvious, of course, but all too often, we find that there is important information or clues that a man will forget to tell his doctor. It’s rarely intentional that men leave out information. For the most part, we hear a lot of “I didn’t think it was worth mentioning.”
The penis is part of our body and everything we do to our body will eventually affect our penis – for good or bad. High cholesterol, lack of exercise, obesity, smoking, alcohol, drugs, poor nutrition and stress all exact a terrible toll on our bodies and this includes our penis. I have often found that pointing out the penile benefits of a healthy lifestyle creates a very strong motivator for life changes.
Isolation is one of the most difficult aspects of men’s sexual medicine. It’s almost part of the Man Code – Don’t talk about it. It seems the whole world snickers at the TV ads for ED drugs. What guy is then going to turn to his friends and admit he has ‘that’ problem? Who can he talk to? Most men even find it very uncomfortable to talk to their partners about their difficulties. So, many men simply avoid the topic, avoid the discussions and avoid seeking help.
