Though erectile dysfunction is not a normal part of aging, we need to accept the fact that our sexuality does change as we age.  We no longer experience the same kind of erections that embarrassed us when we were young but often miss as we get older.

A man often treats his penis like an unruly servant who must be at his beck and call every moment and who must be whipped into shape so he is always ready, willing, and able to perform any duties asked of him.  Like most masters, men fail to understand the changing needs of those who serve them. Men would save themselves a great deal of grief if they understood the normal changes that occur in our sexuality over time.

7 Changes that Occur
in Healthy, Normal Males as they Age

1. Erections take longer to occur.
2. Men more often require direct physical stimulation to get an erection; a sexy sight or fantasy may not arouse him as it did before.
3. The full erection doesn't get quite as firm as it used to.
4. His urge to ejaculate is not as insistent as before.   Sometimes he doesn' t feel like having an orgasm at all.
5. The force of ejaculation isn't as strong as it was in the past.  The amount of his ejaculate is less, and he may have fewer sperm.
6. The desire for and frequency of masturbation may drop, but in some men it may increase.
7. The testicles shrink some, and the scrotal sack droops.  The sack doesn't bunch up as much during arousal.

Although recent research shows there is more of a physical basis to sexual problems than we once thought, the intimate connection between mind and body is nowhere more obvious than in the expression of our sexuality.  We now know, for instance, that changes in hormone levels affect our sexuality and that changes in sexuality affect our hormone levels.

"The androgens do stimulate sexual behavior," says Dr. Cutler, "but sexual behavior in turn seems to stimulate the production of sex hormones.  The testosterone levels, before, during, and after sexual intercourse are usually higher than they are during times of celibacy."

How dose the relationship between the mind and body effect men's health, sexuality, and the male Menopause Passage?  We will deepen and expand our understanding in the next chapter. (also see medication & erectile dysfunction)

Interview Introduction

• Introduction
• What is Male Menopause
• Common Signs & Symptoms
• Erectile Dysfunction
• Mid-Life Crisis
• Book Excerpt
  Male Menopause and Erectile Dysfunction
• Q&A with Jed Diamond

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Male Menopause
by Jed Diamond

So do men really go through menopause? If you think of menopause as hot flashes and a sudden change in fertility, no. But if you regard menopause as physical and emotional changes triggered by significant changes in hormone levels, then yes, men go through it. In Male Menopause veteran psychotherapist and men's-movement leader Jed Diamond looks at the observable and documentable changes associated with male midlife--weight gain, less physical endurance, longer recovery from injuries, reduced interest in sex, feelings of irritability and depression--and concludes that this is indeed a passage similar to what middle-aged women go through. The last section of Male Menopause discusses how men can get back what they've lost, but for the most part Diamond focuses on understanding and accepting the aging process, not fighting it.

The Testosterone Syndrome:
The Critical Factor for Energy, Health, & Sexuality--Reversing the Male Menopause
by Eugene Shippen, William Fryer

Just as women have a menopause, so men experience a "male menopause", often called andropause, which can occur in over a period of 15 to 20 years, and which can take an equally devastating toll on strength, energy, and zest for life. In this book, Dr. Shippan uses case histories to show how adjusting levels of testosterone can have a positive effect on this time in a man's life.

Maximizing Manhood:
Beating the Male Menopause
by Malcolm Carruthers

A revealing and in-depth study of many men facing one of the greatest male taboos. This book discusses the benefits of carefully monitored testosterone replacement therapy.