Men's Sexual health

Geri_Berri · **Geri_Berri**

Erectile dysfunction (ED), also called impotence, is a man's inability to maintain an erection for sexual intercourse. It is estimated that half of all men over 40 experience ED occasionally and 20 million American men are chronic sufferers, particularly older men as ED increases with age. Up to 80% of ED is caused by physical problems, while 20% of cases are psychogenic, or psychological in origin. Causes of ED include hormonal problems, injuries, nerve damage, diseases, infections, diabetes, stress, depression, anxiety, drug abuse and interactions with prescription drugs.

A self-test men can perform to determine whether ED is physical or psychological is the stamp test, or nocturnal penile tumescence test. Physically healthy men experience several prolonged erections during sleep. The stamp test is done by attaching a strip of stamps around the penis before bedtime; if the stamps are torn in the morning, it generally indicates that nocturnal (nightly) erections have occurred and thus ED is not physiological. Men with ED should see urologists for further diagnosis and discussion of the several treatment options available including drugs, hormone injections and surgical repair or implants.

Infertility occurs when men lack an adequate supply of sperm to cause pregnancy. As many as 15% of American couples are affected by infertility in one or both partners, or over 5 million Americans. A World Health Organization (WHO) project found that in about 20% of infertile couples, the problem was due to the man, while in another 27% of couples both partners had infertility problems. Injuries, birth defects, infections, environmental pollutants, chronic stress, drug abuse and hormonal problems may account for male infertility, while one in four cases has no apparent cause and is termed idiopathic infertility. Declining sperm counts have been observed in industrialized countries, and possible explanations for this decrease are as diverse as increased environmental pollutants to the use of plastic diapers, which a German study claims damages infant testicles by keeping in excess heat. Male infertility can be diagnosed by sperm analysis, blood tests, radiographic scans of the testicles and other tests.

Other types of sexual dysfunction include premature ejaculation, in which men cannot sustain intercourse long enough to bring their partners to climax, and retarded ejaculation (also called male orgasmic disorder) when male orgasm becomes difficult. Some men have periods of inadequate sexual desire (hypoactive sexual desire disorder), while sexual aversion disorder (SAD) is fear and repulsion of sexual activity. Dyspareunia is painful intercourse, and should be reported to physicians as it may indicate STDs or infections. In addition to medical care, sexual dysfunction may be treated by sex therapy or psychotherapy depending on its causes.

Vasectomies, a form of male birth control, are surgical operations that sever the tubes that transport sperm from the testicles. Vasectomies can be reversed but ten percent of men become infertile due the surgery. Circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin of the penis, for religious and medical reasons, performed on 60% of newborn males in the United States. Increasing controversy surrounds this procedure. Advocates of circumcision claim it prevents infections (called balanitis) on the head of the penis and reduces chances of penile cancer. Opponents of circumcision claim that the outdated procedure affords no medical benefits, that it causes unnecessary pain for infants, and that the lack of a foreskin may reduce sexual pleasure and performance

Source - http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/mens_health.jsp