Just because you’re getting older doesn’t mean you haven’t any need for love or sexual intimacy. Indeed, the ageing process can have significant effects on your sexual health and wellbeing, but that doesn’t sign the death warrant for your sex life.
There are numerous wellness benefits to sexual activity – at any age. Sex releases endorphins in your body, which in turn will boost your self esteem and prevent depression. It also strengthens your immune system, promotes longevity and enhances your quality of life. According to a study conducted by the National Council of Ageing in the United States, a lot of older men know it, too, as it was reported that 71% of men in their 60s and 57% of men in their 70s engaged in sexual activity at least once a month.
So as an older man, what might be getting in the way of your sex life?
Erectile dysfunction – If you have a health condition like diabetes or high cholesterol, it may be clogging the blood vessels that supplying your penis. This will decrease blood flow and result in poor rigidity. Your erection may also be affected by hormones (testosterone) and diabetes-induced desensitised nerves.
Testosterone deficiency syndrome – Your testosterone hormone production reduces at an average rate of 1% per year after the age of 30. At a certain age, this means you will inadvertently have poor libido and desire, as well as poor erection.
Ejaculatory disorders – This may be due to testosterone deficiency, as low testosterone levels reduce your sperm production. There are also retrograde ejaculation (in which your semen isn’t ejaculated via the urethra, but instead is redirected to the urinary bladder) and premature ejaculation (although it’s good to remember that incidence in the elderly is almost the same as younger men).
There are your problems, but what about solutions? As with everything regarding wellness, you need to exercise, quit smoking, eat a balanced diet and maintain a healthy weight. You should also get any diseases you have, such as diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol, under control. Once you’ve got those sorted, your doctor can advise you on treatments for erectile dysfunction, testosterone deficiency syndrome and ejaculatory disorder, albeit treatments for the latter aren’t as effective as for the first two. Finally, remember that communication with your partner is all-important, as there may be a different way of doing things in the bedroom that will satisfy you both.