I
n my practice, I often meet men who
complain they have diiculty gaining or
maintaining an erection. The problem is
more common than people think and
becomes increasingly prevalent with age.
And it’s not just men who grapple with the
condition. I hear many female patients say,
“Does this mean he’s not attracted to me
anymore?” or “Is he bored by sex with me?”
or “Is there something he’s not telling me?”
The concerns are understandable – especially
considering that men in our culture are often
portrayed as being able to turn on an erection
with ease. But the panic this condition frequently
triggers in both men and women does more
harm than good and can be eased with a greater
understanding of why it happens.
Erections are a combination of physical
and mental arousal and are influenced by
many variables, including physical health.
Cardiovascular trouble can impair the
inner lining of the blood vessels to the
genitals, for example. High blood pressure
and diabetes can reduce blood flow to
the penis. Changes in testosterone
production due to age, genetics or
obesity, can also play a role.
In other cases, the problem is
psychological. Just as thinking about
sex can trigger an erection, thinking
negative thoughts can prevent a man
from getting one or cause him to lose
it. These thoughts may have little or
nothing to do with his partner. They can
stem from anxiety about sexual performance,Helpmate
Around 40 per cent of Australian men experience
erectile dysfunction and the igure increases with
age. Your support can make a diferenceBY DR IAN KERNEROne South
Australian study
found that 52 per
cent of men
between the ages
of 40 and 70
reported having
experienced some
form of erectile
dysfunction, with
the age of 60
being the tipping
point: after this,
the gure rose
to 60 per cent.How
common
is it?110 PREVENTIONAUS.COM.AU