Man’s Impotence Intro
A number of disorders can affect a man’s sexuality. One of the best known is erectile dysfunction. What is meant is the inability to achieve sufficient rigidity of the male member for satisfactory sexual intercourse. This includes not being able to achieve the required erection or being able to maintain it long enough. Sexual desire is often still present. Over time, however, the libido can also disappear, since those affected do not have to be confronted with their supposed “failure”. At times, this is where sex toys come into play.
Impotence and sterility
Two terms differ from erectile dysfunction, which people use interchangeably sometimes. Impotence is a very general and vaguely defined term. As in the past, a distinction was made between the inability to have sexual intercourse and the inability to reproduce. Sterility means the man’s inability to reproduce, also known colloquially as the inability to conceive, whereby the ability to erect is usually not restricted.
Erectile dysfunction can happen occasionally. It can also occur for a limited time but can lead to permanent loss of the ability to function. Erectile dysfunction in the medical perspective is when the individual concerned cannot reach an adequate erection within 6 months from about 70% of the attempts.
Impotency is often the outcome of other diseases
Erections are caused by the complex interaction of blood vessels, the nervous system, hormones and muscles. So it becomes understandable that erectile dysfunction can have a variety of causes. They are often an accompanying symptom of diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, neurological diseases or arterial circulatory disorders. Genital malformations and surgical interventions in the pelvic area are also the cause. But also the intake of certain medications, alcohol and nicotine consumption can lead to erectile dysfunction. Psychological problems can also affect erectile function.
The focus of a diagnosis is a detailed questioning of the person concerned, the physical examination. The examination focuses especially on the penis and testicles, blood and hormone tests and other special methods. Professionals can treat erectile dysfunction with erectile drugs, mechanical aids or surgery.
Since sexual problems were previously largely taboo in society and therefore many men did not undergo treatment, there were hardly any reliable statistics on the frequency of erectile dysfunction for a long time. One thing is certain. Erectile dysfunctions increase with age.