Medical Questions » Sex Questions » Question No. 858
| Question: | I am having trouble maintaining an erection during sex. Approximately 12 months ago I failed miserably twice with this problem. Since then I have separated, and have now met a woman with whom I have become friendly, but I fear I will not be able to fulfil my love. I am 68 years old, a war veteran, had a prostate operation, high blood pressure and two heart attacks. Sir, it obviously takes a great deal to keep an old soldier down! |
| Answer: | There is no reason why elderly people should not maintain an active sex life until well into their seventies, but you have a number of factors which will make the task more difficult. The main reason for a failed erection at any age is psychological pressure to perform. If you are anxious about the event because of a new partner, conditions that are not ideal, or stress and worries, there is a good chance that these nervous signals will override the stimulating signals, and the penis will not become erect. If you have failed previously, then there is even more anxiety, and every successive failure makes you more anxious to perform, and therefore less likely to perform.
The way to overcome this is not to plan sex, but to relax and wait until the time when something occurs spontaneously.
The other factors that can be affecting you are the male menopause, and there is no doubt that this does occur. From the mid-fifties onwatds, the amount of male hormone in the system slowly decreases. Unlike the female menopause, where there is a relatively sudden drop in hormone levels, the drop in men is so gradual that it may not be noticed until the early seventies, when sexual responsiveness and libido (desire for sex) starts to decrease. This will obviously vary from one man to another.
Some types of treatment for high blood pressure can also affect your ability to have an erection, and you should discuss your medication with your doctor. Unfortunately, a prostate operation may have an adverse effect upon sexuality in some patients.
If you continue to have problems obtaining an erection, Caverject injections or Viagra tablets may be worthwhile discussing with your general practitioner.
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