What is the most common cause of sex problems among men and women?
While they can take many forms,
sexual problems are defined as any physical or emotional issue that prevents a couple from achieving a mutually satisfying intimate relationship. Among the most common for men include prostate problems, a decrease in the blood supply to the penis due to diabetes, heart disease, or other health concerns, nerve damage to the spinal cord, or a decrease in the hormone testosterone.
Common sexual problems in women common problems include a lack of desire caused by a decrease in the hormone estrogen,
thyroid disorders (which can also affect some men), and pain during intercourse caused by any number of vaginal problems, including a lack of lubrication.
Some couples also find that the use of certain drugs can also cause sexual problems. These include alcohol, nicotine, narcotics, stimulants, some blood pressure drugs, antihistamines, and certain
antidepressant medications.
What is the most common sexual problem in men?
Studies show it is premature ejaculation, which can affect up to 75% of men. Clinically it is defined as the release of the ejaculate from the penis either before intercourse can take place, or quickly after it starts, usually within less than 15 “thrusts.” While every man will experience premature ejaculation at least once in their life, for some the problem is chronic. When this is the case causes can be linked to a highly sensitive and easily stimulated nervous system, obsessive compulsive disorder, or sometimes a lack of control over the body’s response to excitement. A frequently overlooked cause of temporary premature ejaculation is an infection in the prostate gland known as prostatitis. When this is the case, a course of antibiotics often solves the problem. Temporary problems can also result from stress, or from the use of certain medications including some cold pills.
Treatments for chronic premature ejaculation include the antidepressant medication Anafranil taken 12 hours before sex, and use of a condom to help reduce sensation. Sometimes a prescription lidocaine cream can also help by reducing sensation, but that can also impact the partner.
6 Sex Mistakes Men Make
Author: Martin F. Downs
Editor: Louise
Chang, MD
Hey guys, think you know everything there is to know about having sex
with women? That erotic encyclopedia you carry around in your head may contain a
lot of basic errors and omissions about women’s sexuality — errors that can
lead to sex mistakes.
That’s because — after learning the facts of life — most of us are left to
figure out sex for ourselves. Guys tend to take a lot of cues from adult movies,
and we all know how true-to-life those are. Experience may help, but many women
can be shy when talking about what they like.
To help us with some sex tips, WebMD asked two acclaimed sex educators,
Tristan Taormino and Lou Paget, to tell us what they think are the most common
sex mistakes men make with women.
Taormino is a prolific author, lecturer, and video producer. Her latest
project is the Expert Guide educational video series from Vivid Ed.
Paget is author of The Great Lover Playbook and other sex manuals, and she
gives seminars nationwide.
Sex Mistake No.1: You Know What She Wants
Men often make assumptions about
what a woman wants based upon what they’ve done with other women. But women
aren’t all the same.
"You develop a repertoire as you mature sexually, but you should never assume
that what worked for the last person is going to work for this person," Taormino
says.
That applies not only to sexual predilections, but also to
relationships, she
says. "There are women who can have no-strings-attached sex, and women who can
get attached very easily, and then everyone in between."
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What is retrograde ejaculation, and how is it treated?
A form of male sexual dysfunction, retrograde ejaculation means the ejaculate fluid that normally leaves the penis during orgasm takes a wrong biological turn and ends up depositing in the bladder. Here it mixes with urine and eventually leaves the body as a waste product. The problem isn’t harmful unless the couple is
trying to conceive. Retrograde ejaculation can occur either partially or completely. In either instance the cause is frequently linked to prior prostate or urethral surgery, diabetes, and the use of certain drugs including medications for high blood pressure. Controlling blood sugar can help improve the problem, as can some epinephrine-like drugs. Sometimes switching blood pressure medications also works.
Is having an erection for an extended period of time dangerous?
A lot depends on your definition of “extended.” The condition itself is known as
priapism and it’s defined, in clinical terms, as an erection that lasts four hours or more without sexual stimulation. Normally, stimulation causes blood to flow into the penis, which in turn results in an erection. After ejaculation — or if stimulation is discontinued — the blood drains and the erection recedes. When priapism occurs, blood that is sent to fill the penis becomes trapped, causing the erection to remain without relief. Not only can this be extremely painful, if not treated early on it can result in scarring inside the penis, and sometimes, permanent erectile dysfunction. Priapism can occur in any male, even newborns, but most commonly develops between the ages of 5 and 10 years old, and 20 and 50 years old. Treatment can be as simple as applying ice packs, or may involve injecting the penis with medications, or removing blood from the penis to reduce pain and swelling. Occasionally surgery is necessary to restore proper blood flow and drainage.
Which medications commonly cause sex problems for men or women?
The most well-known medications are antidepressant drugs such as
Prozac, or tranquilizers, such as
Valium, both of which can impact sex drive in both men and women. For women, certain
birth control pills can put a damper on desire, as can some formulations of HRT used to treat
menopause symptoms. Drugs known to increase the risk of impotency in men include certain high blood pressure drugs, antihistamines used for colds or allergies, some
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (like ibuprofen), heartburn drugs such as
Tagamet,
Zantac, and
Pepcid, some lipid-lowering drugs for
cholesterol, and certain medications used to treat
Parkinson’s disease or cancer.
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Is it true that sex can actually give some people a headache?
Yes, it’s true. Medically, the condition is known as coital cephalalgia, and surprisingly, it affects men more often than women — surprising because in general women get more headaches than men. While no one is certain what’s behind the problem, some say it may be related to the sudden change in blood flow and subsequent drop in blood pressure following orgasm. Others contend it may be the result of a release of adrenaline that floods the body during periods of intense sexual activity. While some folks can have sex headaches for several weeks followed by permanent remission, for others the problem may come and go indefinitely, or sometimes be present with every sexual encounter. Although you might not suffer from migraine headaches, sex headaches are thought to be chemically related and frequently respond to similar treatments. One word of caution: Don’t assume that a headache you experience after sex is a sex headache. Experts say sometimes benign lesions in the brain or
aneurysms (a blood vessel disorder) can also cause headaches after sex. To rule out such problems, don’t diagnose yourself — see your doctor.
WebMD Medical Reference