Health News

For men without partners, masturbation is often an integral part of sex therapy, although those with lovers can benefit from it also. Attitudes about masturbation have changed a lot, but many people still regard it as sinful, selfish, dirty or distasteful—even if they don’t believe that masturbation will cause blindness, warts or hairy palms. In fact, most people engage in self-pleasuring; one study found that almost all men and more than 80 percent of women masturbate. But just because everybody does it doesn’t mean we all accept it as normal and healthy.

So, someone who feels uncomfortable with masturbation will need to examine his attitudes before beginning any exercises. A good sex therapist should be able to help him do that.

Self-stimulation is an important part of sex therapy for erection problems. Learning that a lost erection can be restored is reassuring. A man may be instructed to stimulate himself until he is aroused, then to let his penis become flaccid. Once he is no longer erect, he begins self-pleasuring again. Learning how to do this when he’s alone will help him accomplish the same thing when he is with his lover.

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As a treatment, the shots are quite new. Many specialists are using this method because of positive reports from clinical researchers. However, because this is still a somewhat experimental treatment, some physicians will not want to use it. It is important to stress that these shots should never be used without a doctor’s prescription and instructions.

Penile shots can salvage the sex lives of men who have nerve damage, whether it’s caused by traumatic injuries to the spinal cord, diabetes or surgery Men with significantly advanced artery disease or extremely leaky veins probably will not be helped by this method, although patients suffering milder forms of these blood-flow problems may find the shots work for them.

And this treatment isn’t safe to use all the time: As a general rule, the injections should not be given more than two times a week, because sticking needles in the penis can eventually lead to some scarring. Overtime, a buildup of scar tissue could cause the penis to bend or even make it impossible for the organ to become erect.

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The device is not tiny, so you can’t put it in your wallet before a hot date. And it’s unlikely that your partner won’t notice it, so we suggest you not spring it on her unannounced. A suction device does have some benefits, however. There’s no surgery involved, and if you don’t like it, you can just stop using it. If you use it properly, it won’t cause injuries and won’t prevent you from proceeding with other treatments in the future.

Discuss the device with your doctor in detail before using it. Ask him if any of his other patients have ever used such devices and what the possible side effects are in your particular case. If you and your physician decide it’s worth a try, be sure that the doctor shows you how to use the device—do a test run in the office. Follow all instructions exactly; never use the device for a longer period of time than recommended by your doctor and the manufacturer. Err on the side of caution.

The second type of suction device, the Correct aid, looks like a very thick condom. It is placed on the penis and kept on during intercourse. To produce an erection, suction is applied to a small tube attached to the condom. Because this type of device is quite new, it’s too early to say how it will be received. It is available without a prescription, but as with any other sexual aid, we think it’s essential that you talk with your doctor before you try it.

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Removing one testicle will have absolutely no effect on a man’s physical ability to get and maintain an erection. The remaining testicle will produce enough of the male hormone, testosterone, to keep the man’s erections just as normal as before the operation. Why would a man ever need to have both testicles removed? For two conditions: advanced prostate cancer and cancer in both testicles (an extremely rare condition).

Just as the healthy prostate depends on testosterone to keep functioning normally, prostate cancer needs testosterone to keep growing. In very advanced cases, the surgeon may recommend removing both testicles in order to get rid of the cancer’s source of growth, testosterone. (This is another incentive to have annual rectal examinations if you are over 40 years of age; the sooner prostate cancer is detected, the better it can be treated. Early detection and treatment almost always leaves a man with both testicles.)

If s extremely rare for a man to develop testicular cancer in both testicles, but it does happen on occasion. Unfortunately, removing the testicles (the major source of testosterone production) also takes away much of a man’s sexual desire. In this case, however, testosterone does not promote growth of the testicular tumors, so the hormone can be replaced with shots.

All of these potency-sapping medical problems are serious, and no man should try to diagnose and treat them on his own.

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As you’ve already, seen, medical science now knows that, most often, ED has a physical cause. Acknowledging that breakthrough takes us— physicians and patients alike—into the new world of sexual medicine. Today, the physiological aspects of ED can be treated. But without looking at and addressing another crucial component of a man’s sex life, the medications will take that man only so far. Facing the psychological reverberations that ED causes in men and their partners is an equally important part of treating the condition successfully. Dealing with the aftereffects of a renewed sex life is another.

Sex involves two people, and their feelings must be recognized. I know many men shy away from talking about their ED for a number ol reasons, including embarrassment, frustration, and fear. But without lacing the problem, in all its complexity, it can’t be solved to the mutual satisfaction of both partners. In order to fully overcome ED and its far-reaching repercussions in a couple, several actions need to be taken:

• First of all, a man must acknowledge his problem and talk to his partner about it.

• Second, he needs to discuss the treatment options with his doctor.

• Third—and possibly most important of all—he has to ask himself what sex, both physically and emotionally, means to him.

As I’ve stated throughout this book, without an emotional connection to your sexual partner, the pills alone won’t give you the deep, satisfying awareness that defines great sex. For those of you who took your sex lives for granted until it changed, this is a golden opportunity. Not only do you have available the means to restore your sexual function; now you can bring new emotional perspective to your relationship, giving it a stronger, more resilient bond that will enhance your sexual experiences as well as those of your partner.

The long-reaching effects of the ED medications will take men and their partners into a new phase of their lives. I would be remiss if I didn’t guide you through this uncharted territory. To do that, we have to take the first step toward the resolution of ED. And that means that the problem has to be faced. There is a painless and quick method that can help you do that. All you have to do is take the time to answer fifteen questions.

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