Both men and women experience sexual difficulties at some point in their lives. It could be something temporary, resulting from a particular situation that affects our relationship; pressures at work, or circumstances which dismiss energy to our sex life, like being caring for young children or elderly parents. Whether external factors, psychological factors or health problems, if you are experiencing any sexual difficulties described here, you may need medical help and / or psychological, as well as incorporating your partner to treatment.

According to Dr. Helen Kaplan, sexual dysfunction occurs when the reactions in the sexual response or any of its components suffer deterioration. In men, as in women, the first stage of sexual response is the genital vasocongestion, which in this case produces an erection due to congestion of the blood vessels of the penis. The second part of the male sexual response is orgasm, which consists of a series of involuntary clonic contractions of the genital musculature, which is usually accompanied by ejaculation.

Below you will find an overview of the main male sexual dysfunction:

Erectile Dysfunction (Impotence)

It refers to the inability in men to achieve an erection or maintain an erection strong enough to achieve penetration and have intercourse. All men often experience erectile dysfunction at different times throughout their life, and usually common in children and older adults (elderly). On the other hand, it is normal to experience difficulties in achieving a new erection after intercourse or masturbation.

Impotence can have physical foundations and erection is a neurovascular reflex that depends on the correct hormone levels, healthy penile anatomy, adequate vascular supply, and an intact and in good working nervous system. However, researchers agree in saying that the vast majority of cases of erectile dysfunction have psychological causes. Autonomic reflexes governing the erection are delicate and are indeed affected by relationship problems (conflicts of power, deception towards the other) and by emotions such as fear and anxiety caused by traumatic failures in the early sex or severe religious beliefs. However, many other cases of erectile dysfunction are caused by simple and easy to correct emotional factors, such as performance anxiety, fear of rejection of women blame for the sexual enjoyment or excessive preoccupation with satisfaction of the woman.

Sex therapy is effective in the latter cases involving simple causes. For cases of internal conflict or with partner, an additional psychotherapy will be required. Impotence organic or physiological causes require medical attention. However, when making love, the best scenario is that the man is in a calm and free emotional state of conflict, in addition to adequate support from partner, so that their erectile reflexes operate without interference.

Premature ejaculation

Researchers say that a man has premature ejaculation when ejaculation occurs before penetration or few minutes thereafter, where the couple fails to experience pleasure or orgasm during intercourse time. In this sense, experts argue that “a man has a problem of premature ejaculation when during intravaginal introduction, cannot control ejaculation long enough to satisfy your spouse even in 50% of sexual contacts”.

Sometimes rapid exchanges during adolescence sexual condition in men such ejaculatory pattern may persist in other stages of life. Therefore, premature ejaculation is more common in young men with little sexual experience, although it is normal to happen in men of all ages after a long period of abstinence. Over the years, usually man learns to control his ejaculatory reflex enough to satisfy partner and achieve full for both intercourse time.

For some men the ejaculatory control can become difficult. The impact on the relationship is usually high, so it is important to seek professional help and involve in the therapeutic process. Unlike reflex erection that cannot be subjected to voluntary control, a man can usually come halt or delay ejaculation and orgasm whenever he wants. Dr. Kaplan holds that man posing premature ejaculation has not learned to control ejaculation because he is not aware of prior to orgasm sensations. And this happens because you experience some anxiety, for example, sexual performance anxiety, which distracts him at that time. Premature ejaculation is usually easily treated with sex therapy techniques.

Delay ejaculation

The man in this situation may feel sexual arousal and achieve and maintain an erection long yet has difficulty or is unable to ejaculate and experience orgasms while receiving stimuli strong enough. This sexual difficulty is less frequent than the previous two and is analogous to the female orgasmic dysfunction.

The orgasm reflex is normally under the control of the will. However, emotional factors can inhibit it, which results in an unconscious one control excess resulting in the inability to release ejaculation and orgasm. Emotional causes may be different in each person, some face such as performance anxiety, and other deeper as severe religious beliefs and family values, fear of commitment to the partner or fear of pregnant, and as a way to “punish” the couple, among others. Organic causes include diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and use of certain drugs, especially drugs against depression and hypertension. To treat delay ejaculation sex therapy is necessary in conjunction with psychotherapy, for cases with deeper emotional inhibition. The cases of delay ejaculation organic or physiological causes require medical attention. Also must be addressed the relationship because it is fundamental to the success of the therapeutic process and get the man to relax, release control and experience easy and pleasurable orgasms.