Advanced Age, Men And Sex

For men a lot depends on their sexual ability, since in their mind, it is directly linked to the concept of “virility”. We men throughout our lives monitor in a certain sense the erective capacity, the readiness of excitement, identifying it with our power as males. What happens when we realize with age that the erective capacity fails, is less prompt, less valid, less complete? 

It is true that males do not have the equivalent of female “menopause” which, like a bell, warns us that something is changing and will change. Our “andropause” is much slower, to the most almost imperceptible. But there is a “decline” that, albeit slow, gradual, partial, arrives and can create some problems. What attitude should you adopt? How to manage it?

Not only erection, but also and above all its maintenance are important, so that sexologists often distinguish, within the erective disorders, those from insufficient erection from those of “maintenance” of the erection, both source of constant concern of male “sensitized” to these problems. We have used this term because both disorders can have an organic but also a psychogenic origin (which often unite in maintaining a problem).

However, when dealing with seniors, sexologists do not focus on performance anxieties, rather on factors related more to age. If in fact a valid erection requires an optimal blood supply and imagining that this is not prevented by thoughts, emotions, anxieties, it remains true that the inflow is very much linked to the arteries and the arteries become less with age elastic, less free, more prone to be attacked by diseases such as hypertension, arteriosclerosis or diabetes. Unfortunately for us, other factors also affect erections:

• loss of the integrity of the nerve pathways
• hormonal factors (testosterone levels we will talk about)
• cognitive factors (thoughts, concerns, etc.)
• emotional factors (especially anxiety but also, at times, depressive states)
• relationship factors factors related to taking medications for other disorders that can interfere with sexuality.

At a young age the psychogenic excitement is predominant, while with the passing of the years it becomes necessary to add an increasing share of direct “stimulation”. Being aware of this can ease the tensions that couples sometimes experience later on in the years that wish to maintain a sexual life. In fact, if there is a good relationship between couples, this can overcome the limit by adapting their own way of making love to the changes that have occurred, compensating for the lesser excitability of the male member with greater tactile stimulation.

A healthier lifestyle can help, but so can a redefinition of one’s sex life.

In each new phase of life one can discover different forms of intimacy and approach to sexuality. The mature sexuality comes with greater sensitivity, greater receptivity, greater importance given to the “playful” aspects. It is here that the magical power of touch, contact and caress regains light. Remember also of the help that 5-phosphodiesterase inhibitors like sildenafil offer us.

The important thing is not to be left alone. Many men, when faced with the onset of the first problems, close themselves, have a loss of self-esteem and self-image, are ashamed to talk about it with a doctor or a sexologist. According to researches, only 30% of the estimated total of men with erectile disorders go to the doctor and the percentage of those receiving treatment is even lower (10%).