Mens Sexual Health

Bad Luck Finding Mate Leads to Shorter Life Span

Apparently having bad luck finding a life partner for men not only affects their happiness (obviously, this is also true for women), but it also may have a fairly significant impact on their longevity, or life span. There have been many studies that show that men who are in happy marriages and partnerships are not only happier, but they also tend to enjoy better health than their unattached counterparts.

There have been many theories about this, but one of them tends to be the psychological impact that having a mate you enjoy having around, not only sexually, but also on a mental level. We all know that psychological and mental health tend to impact our physical health as well. For example, many studies have shown that those who are generally happier people tend to get sick less often and are therefore assumed to have a better immune system.

Men who live in areas where there is more competition to find the love of their lives tend to have shorter life spans than men who live in areas where it is easier to find their mates. The exact reasons aren’t known, but the theory is that the marriage making men happier and also making their lifespans longer has something to do with this unfortunate statistic.

What’s the lesson here?  If you live somewhere that it’s hard to find your mate – move somewhere else where the female companionship likelihood is much higher.

Symptoms of Low Testosterone Levels in Men

Testosterone is the male key reproductive hormone. Not just reproductive but also the one responsible for muscular size, hair and bone mass. Putting it simple, it is the hormone that makes the male’s Men.

A good amount of testosterone in male body gives the men capability to perform great in physical activities. Power comes form these hormones and fuels the strength of muscles and bones. The most important characteristic for these hormones is their capability to endow the male with sexual drive. Increase of testosterone level means increase sexual pleasure.

Unfortunately there is a downside to this too, a situation of low testosterone level caused as years go by or caused during puberty development.  Low testosterone levels give the symptoms of low libido or sexual drive; erectile dysfunction (ED); increased irritability or depression; fatigue; reduced muscle mass and strength; inability to concentrate; osteoporosis or decreased of bone density; Increased risk of cardiovascular disease; and fat accumulation and weight gain.

Side effects of low testosterone level are small amount of facial hair; slower body development like muscle mass and genitals; male’s voice not changing after puberty.
But not all situations are permanent. Men with high testosterone levels have the condition of low testosterone level from time to time. This is due to the fact that they spend them during sports activities or mostly during intercourse.

Many athletes avoid sexual activity before a big match as not to affect their energy and physical performance. This myth is not always correct as some people are not affected by low testosterone levels after having sex. In fact quite the contrary appears; their testosterone level increases significantly after having sex. Some athletes prefer having sexual activity before a big match in order to get the boost for best physical performance.

Improving the testosterone levels, normally, come in to types, natural and artificial. The natural way to improve testosterone levels is to consume healthy food full of vitamins and minerals. The fruit that is a great source of testosterone is the banana. One banana has the ability to supply enough testosterone for the entire day. Another type of fruit, or more like types of fruit, is shelled dry fruit – walnuts, peanuts and etc.

The artificial way is consuming prescription drugs. Many people are misled that multivitamins can do the trick, but they don’t. There are certain types of medication that provide the necessary daily dosage of testosterone and need to be handled with care.

Testosterone Gel Use in Men Linked to Heart Problems

Men who have been on testosterone gel, which is a topical gel that is massaged into the skin in specific areas of the body that will provide for maximum absorption, may actually be more prone to heart troubles than men who are not on such a testosterone replacement.

Testosterone gel is prescribed for men who have medically low levels of the male hormone testosterone.

They may suffer from hypogonadism or an array of other de-masculinizing symptoms such as a higher voice, less muscle tone since men naturally have more muscle tone due to the testosterone hormone, and loss of body hair. Women should never be on testosterone, as there are no cases where it is known that this helps women with any medical issues.

Testosterone can enhance muscle tone, increase virility and enhance other masculine characteristics that are associated with this masculine hormone and high levels of it.  However, when there is too much testosterone, this abundance can lead to it’s very own set of problems.

One of them is thought to be increased risk of heart attack. Recent studies showed that men who were on the testosterone gel called Testim, were more prone to having heart trouble.

These men also tended to have higher cholesterol readings, more problems with obesity and also high blood pressure. Whether these health problems were all specifically associated with the testosterone gel or not is not quite clear, but there was a correlation between the men being on it and having higher rates of these health issues.

These types of things are often hard to gauge, because sometimes you can’t tell whether one cause the other, or vice versa, or perhaps it was a pre existing condition for these men who just so happened to also be taking testosterone for male enhancement purposes.

One researcher was careful to comment that the results of this relatively small and limited study, he felt, were not representative of the testosterone gel user population.

Are You an Aging Swinger? Better Watch Out!

New studies are showing that a certain population is actually more prone to getting STD’s than even prostitutes are.

That means if you are a member of this particular population, you’d better be wearing condoms, or if you’re a woman, you better make sure whoever you have close sexual contact with had better be wearing a raincoat!  The population I’m speaking of is aging swingers.

Swingers are partners that engage in sex with multiple partners in organized meetings periodically.  You’ve definitely heard of them, but chances are you may even know or be an aquaintance with some or one.

It’s not something that one broadcasts since it is a pretty personal sexual choice, and some people may fear backlash or perception of them as loose if they share this information, so it is, understandably, many times kept on the down low.

Researchers studying this group found that they actually suffer form sexually transmitted infections more often than even prostitutes do, which is surprising, but may have an explanation.

They may feel safer than prostitutes do and not use protection as much, which is a huge mistake, especially since many are having sex with the same people in the same circle, and all it takes is one sexually transmitted disease to infect an entire crew of people in one of their groups.

For whatever reason, this Dutch study, which very well may indicative of numbers in other cultures, showed that older swingers in particular, those in their forties and higher, tended to have higher infection rates and yet were largely ignored by the health clinics that treated them as a correlation to their lifestyle.

It’s important in the first place to always wear a condom if you are not married and date a lot or have multiple sexual partners in your life, but it is particularly more important that you do that or make sure your partner is wearing one if you engage in higher risk sexual activities with higher risk groups.

Take care of yourself, and know that respecting your body in this way will result in more sexual safety.

FDA Issues Warning on Sexual Stimulant Coffee

A sexual aphrodisiac natural coffee drink that is sold in powdered form and made into a drink called Magic Power Coffee, which is apparently sold on the internet through several different distributors, has now received an FDA warning to consumers to be careful with the product as it may lower the blood pressure too much when it interacts with some prescription medications (although it didn’t say specifically which ones, my guess would be blood pressure lowering medications maybe?).

Although no adverse effects have been reported yet, they felt the need to warn consumers about the possible interactions with medications. I’m not sure where the concern came in if there were no reported ill effects to be honest, but I think that if anyone is on any prescription medication, they should ALWAYS consult with their docs to see if they can take an herbal supplement of any kind.

Even the most seemingly harmless herbs contain plant nutrients that do something in the body, and they can always have the possibility of interacting with a prescription drug. So, it’s important to always tell your doctor what other supplements or vitamins you might be taking. Just one example is when I went in for surgery to get a large birthmark remove, they specifically asked me not to take specific supplements for several weeks before the surgery.

The reason was that these supplements could thin the blood (which is generally a good thing since this helps prevent heart attack and stroke), and if you are having surgery of any kind, that can be dangerous since you may excessively bleed.  There are other supplements that can interact negatively with medications as well, or that you can’t take if you’re having certain procedures.

Doctors now even ask you if you’re even going in for a general checkup, what types of medications, supplements, and vitamins you’re taking. They ask you because they want to know first of all, and also because they don’t want to prescribe something for you that might interact negatively with an herb or certain type of natural chemical you might be taking.

I still think herbal supplements for male enhancement are a great alternative for men who are looking to enhance their sexual performance, pleasure and enjoyment, but even those you must make sure do not interact with any prescriptions you might be on. Hopefully you’re not on any prescribed medication when you take them, but it’s always best to check with your doc first on what’s safe, and of course, you also must follow the directions on any herbal supplements just like you would on medications.

Obesity Associated with Sexual Problems in Men and Women

Apparently being overweight doesn’t just have an adverse effect on your psyche, your self esteem and your overall heart and body health. It also now, definitively has an adverse effect on your overall sexual health. When I say “sexual health” I’m referring to a very broad definition of the term which includes sexually related problems in both women and men of all ages.

For one, women who are obese, the research has now shown, actually have a harder time finding a sexual partner than men who are overweight. Talk about a double standard guys!  I know a lot of men prefer their women pretty thin or at least fit, but then there is definitely a double standard when it comes to the guys not taking as good of care of themselves.

But hey, we women perpetuate this fact by dating and marrying men who are much heavier. Maybe, we’re, hmm, more accepting of body types than men are overall? Ok, so I am a woman, so I’m biased, but still!

For women, the troubles don’t end there when it comes to overall sexual health and their obesity. Apparently obese women suffer more unwanted or unplanned pregnancies, a higher abortion rate, and less seeking out of contraception by doctors or health care professionals. Not necessarily in that order, since those are all obviously interrelated issues.

The answer isn’t totally clear on why this is. It may be socioeconomic in nature though, as those who don’t have as much means to go to the doctors tend to also not have the best health habits or food choices either, which is associated with increased rates of obesity as well.  Now, as far as actual sexual dysfunction, women have it better than the obese men.  While women don’t experience dysfunction with their sexual function, they may have a slightly lower arousal rate than their lower weight counterparts.

However, obese men actually suffer a higher rate of erectile dysfunction AND they also suffer with a lower libido than their lower weight counterparts.  Also, like tends to attract like. So men and women who are obese tend to be together more often than not. Which makes sense considering you pick up the eating habits of your live in mate often times.

Had a Heart Attack? What About Sex Then?

The common thought about what happens after a man has had a heart attack is that he will never again have a normal, active sex life. Not necessarily so, some doctors are saying.  We’ve all been scared into submission somewhat by the traditional situation of the older guy having vigorous sex with his partner, having a heart attack and suffering death in one of the most humiliating (albeit worthwhile) ways to die. The actual truth is that this incident rarely happens.

However, men should always take the advice of their doctors on limiting sex or limiting how long you have sex or sexual excitement, if that is what is deemed to be causing too much excitement.  Studies have found that men, after having a heart attack, are reluctant to return to their former sex lives without the green light from their doctor.  Doctors actually play much more of a role than perhaps they thought, in the decision their heart attack patients make about when to return to sexual activity.

Sex is a vital part of being human, it’s a vital part of being a man – and of course, a woman.  It is one of the purest forms of unadulterated fun and stress release we have. It can actually benefit the heart of a healthy individual when it is done when they are again healthy enough to enjoy it. It releases all sorts of bad hormones, and brings in all the good ones, which restores the peaceful balance of the body and helps to also ease the mind and help us enjoy good mental health.

The rule of thumb for going back to having sex after having a heart attack apparently is that sexual activity rarely kills people, and that if you are healthy enough to climb a few rows of stairs, then you are also healthy enough to have sexual intercourse and again enjoy this activity with your beloved partner.  Often times it is the man’s partner who is also hesitant because of the old wive’s tales that have been told about heart attacks and sex, so it’s important that both of you talk to your doctor about when the right time to go back to being intimate and enjoying one another’s company that way is.

Sack Tapping Game Goes Too Far

Wow.  What kids call fun these days, is kind of nuts if you ask me. Call me an old codger at my ripe old age of 35, but getting punched in the balls really doesn’t sound like my idea of a knee slapping good time.  Apparently a joke, or prank that the kids are calling “sack tapping” where one guy runs up to another and essentially socks another guy in the scrotum, has become all the rage. But it’s causing some serious injuries, causing surgeons, doctors and parents to warn their teen boys to not participate in this game.

One boy recently was sack tapped and actually had to have his one testicle removed because of it!  Apparently it can cause such severe injury and trauma that it leads to severe pain and even rupturing, requiring that at least one testicle be removed as a consequence.

Guys, whatever age you are, do NOT participate in this. You can seriously end up as a uniballer – not cool!

Financial Stress Lessening Sex for 45 Year Olds and Up?

Surveys and conventional wisdom in the past have showed us that those that are in their forties and above often enjoy active, uninhibited sex lives. While we tend to think of wild, hot sex as something that only twenty somethings enjoy sometimes, it’s really the opposite, we become more uninhibited and more able to enjoy sex as we get older, and our forties, especially for women, is when we tend to “ripen” for great sexual experiences.

Female sexual enhancement becomes very easy in our forties, because of a couple of things. First, women are less inhibited and worried about what others might think of her at this age, she is also more experienced and knows what she likes, and she also has hormones working in her favor as well.  While men tend to hit their sexual peaks in their twenties, women tend to hit their sexual peaks in their forties. Seems unfair, doesn’t it? But that’s the way mother nature has seen it fit for one reason or another, so we have to live with it.

When I think of myself, a woman in her mid thirties, I remember having some great sex when I was in my twenties, but I didn’t necessarily know what I was doing. I had never really given men good fellatio, and I never really knew how to ask a man to give me good oral either. I didn’t know what I wanted in terms of foreplay, and what kind of sex pleased me the most, and I certainly wasn’t sure that what I was doing was pleasing my partner either.

Now, in my mid thirties, I’ve experimented enough to be much more confident about my sexual prowess, and so I’ve released a lot of those inhibitions and can enjoy myself more now.  I’m looking forward to my forties actually!  It’s just a shame that when I look in the mirror, I look different than that twenty year old body

This conventional wisdom that we still enjoy sex immensely and abundantly at 45 and after has seemed to take a turn – and not for the better either. Apparently when surveyed now, people have answered that they don’t enjoy sex as often and they sited financial stress as the reason. This economy not only has affected a lot of other things, but apparently the new reality in the economy has also affected our dang sex lives!

It’s really too bad, but unfortunately a lot of men in this age bracket, and women, were affected by things like layoffs, and they were at such an age that they were paid very well and have tougher times finding comparable replacement jobs. I know so many people going through this still….it’s a shame, but maybe we just need to get out there and buy more sexual enhancement aids so at least that great, stress relieving part of our lives isn’t stymied so much!

The Effects of Low Testosterone Levels in Men

It is very normal and typical for testosterone levels to decrease in men as they grow older. Men are living longer today with increased quality of life and we are beginning to understand this aging process. The testos

terone is very important for muscle and bone strength as well as mental sharpness and mental performance. It is proved that when testosterone levels drop the health of the men can be affected in multiple ways. More specifically, in the last few years with the development of testosterone, our understanding of low testosterone in men has changed. There is a condition where the testosterone level declines with age, than decreases the men ability to enjoy sex.

Namely, there is also a decrease in sexual desire, erectile dysfunction and changes in mood can be noticed along with increase in body fat as well as  lowering a muscle mass. On boys the genitals may not develop normally, and the voices of younger man’s may fail to deepen, because some males do not produce enough testosterone.  These men can feel uncomfortable and sometimes distressing symptoms, which are not wanted.

Actually what is a low testosterone?It can be very easy recognized-includes: mood problems, fatigue and sleep disturbances. But there are cases when the effects of low testosterone can be unnoticed. Even though is normal this drop of the testosterone sometimes can be very dangerous for men’s health. On the other hand, it is certain that the testosterone maintains all male characteristics through whole men’s existence.

Smoking, alcohol, stress, obesity and a random lifestyle can affect the ability of the body to produce testosterone and affect the volume. It is important to note, there is no therapy for this ‘disease’ because this therapy can potentially cause an entirely different set of health problems for men, but there are approved testosterone replacement therapies, including: Injections and Patches, where testosterone injections can make older men with low blood levels of testosterone more interested in making love.

Insulin is very good to keep blood sugar levels from rising too high, but can also increase the people’s chances of getting a heart attack by causing arteries to constrict, and making people get fat by causing hunger and forcing their organs to make extra fat from the excess calories that they consume.However, it is well known that, on average, today’s men have lower levels of hormones than their ancestors did at the same age.