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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!
Over the past few years, the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) has approved several new testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) products. Patients now have several options to choose from including those that can be applied to the skin via a gel or patch, injected into a muscle, placed in the mouth and allowed to absorb through the gums or inserted under the skin by their provider. There is no right or wrong choice, but the choice of treatment must take into account the patient’s age, existing medical conditions, previous and current response to treatment, and preference, as well as cost.
Testosterone levels in your body are controlled by a complex system that includes your brain, testes, and several different hormones. The hypothalamus, which is located in the brain, secretes hormones that pulse throughout the day. The release of these hormones is controlled by a negative feedback loop. When adequate levels of hormones are reached, a signal is sent to the brain to slow down production.
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.”
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.
