Health:Sexual Dysfunction in Males

Article by Primrose Stuart

Sexual dysfunction is a disorder of sexual behavior and sexual sensation that appears as an abnormality or absence of sexual psychology and physiological reaction. Erectile dysfunction hampers the quality of life of both the male and his partner.

Sexual dysfunction is related to factors such as mental and physical health, demographics and lifetime experiences, many of which are interrelated, according to a new research funded by The National Institutes of Health. Disorders of sexual function are common among men of all ages and cultural backgrounds.

Types and causes of male sexual dysfunction

According to research findings, 52% of between 40 to 70 year old males suffer from varying degrees of Sexual Dysfunction. The most common problem amongst men is erectile dysfunction as it increases with age.

• Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction is the inability to get and keep an erection firm enough for sex. This can be frustrating for a man if it is a persisting problem. It is of importance to identify the root cause in order to find a suitable solution. Some of the primary causes of this condition include the following;

Psychological causes of erectile dysfunction:

1. Relationship problems.
2. Pressure to perform,
3. Poor communication,
4. Mental health issues including depression and anxiety

Physiological causes of erectile dysfunction:

1. Diabetes medication,
2. high blood pressure,
3. high cholesterol,
4. drug abuse,
5. kidney failure,
6. exposure to heat in saunas and hot tubs.

Complications of erectile dysfunction

Failure to treat erectile dysfunction in the long run can lead to some of the following problems;

1. Low self-esteem,
2. Anxiety,
3. Infertility,
4. Relationship breakdown.

• Premature ejaculation

This is when ejaculation occurs sooner than the man or his partner wants. Occasionally this is normal but becomes a problem when it is prolonged. A fewer number of men suffer from not reaching orgasm at all.

            Causes of premature ejaculation

1. Negative sexual experiences such as sexual abuse
2. Depression
3. Relationship problems
4. Stress

• Inhibited ejaculation

     Causes of inhibited ejaculation

1. Poor self-image
2. Concerns about performance
3. Poor communication

• Reduced sex interest

The reasons for low sex interest may vary from person to person. Sex drive changes throughout your life. It is important to investigate the underlying issues for you to be able to resolve this problem.

Causes of low sex drive

1. Family commitments
2. Low testosterone
3. Work obligations
4. Medications such as antidepressants, pain relievers, high blood pressure pills.
5. Life changes
6. Depression
7. Chronic illness
8. Too much exercise

Research findings:

1. In a study of 13,618 men aged 40 to 80 years from 29 countries, Laumann et al. (2005) found early ejaculation to have the highest prevalence averaging 24.3 % across regions, followed by erectile difficulties (18.5 %), and lack of sexual interest (17.8 %).
2. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in the US reported that 51.3% of diabetic men suffered from Erectile Dysfunction.

In cases where this problem persists I urge you to speak to a doctor. The earlier you resolve this condition the better. To receive more related articles and books remember to click on subscribe.

Additional useful information

The pharmacist of drugs and other substances involved in erectile dysfunction.

Drug class	Decreased desire	Decreased arousal	Orgasm or ejaculatory difficulties
Antidepressants	amitriptyline	amitriptyline	citalopram
	clomipramine	citalopram	clomipramine
	fluoxetine	clomipramine	doxepin
	imipramine	doxepin	escitalopram
	paroxetine	fluoxetine	fluoxetine*
	phenelzine	imipramine	fluvoxamine
	sertraline	nortriptyline	imipramine
		paroxetine	nortriptyline
		phenelzine	paroxetine*
		sertraline	sertraline*
		tranylcypromine	tranylcypromine
			venlafaxine
Other psychotropic drugs	alprazolam	chlorpromazine	alprazolam
	chlorpromazine	fluphenazine	fluphenazine
	fluphenazine	lithium	haloperidol
	haloperidol	risperidone	risperidone
	lithium
	risperidone
Cardiovascular drugs	clonidine	beta blockers
	digoxin	clonidine
	hydrochlorothiazide	digoxin
	methyldopa	hydrochlorothiazide
	spironolactone	methyldopa
		perhexilene
		spironolactone
Antibacterials	Ketoconazole	Metronidazole
Cardiac glycosides	Digitalis Digoxin
Antipyretic analgesics	Indometacin Phenylbutazone Phenacetin
Anticholinergic drug	Atropina Anisodamine Probanthine		Trihexylphenidyl
Antihistamine			Cimetidine Ranitidine
Antineoplastic drugs	—-	—-	—-
Other drugs	cimetidine	antihistamines	naproxen
		cimetidine
		cyproterone
		disulfiram
		gonadotrophin- releasing
		hormone
		agonists
		propantheline
		pseudoephedrine

References

https://news.uchicago.edu/story/causes-sexual-dysfunction-change-people-age-earlier-experiences-multiple-partners-and-stds

https://www.urologyhealth.org/urology-a-z/m/male-infertility

Apostolou, M. Sexual Dysfunctions in Men: An Evolutionary Perspective. Evolutionary Psychological Science 1, 220–231 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40806-015-0026-4