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Most information available on sexual health are primarily geared towards women. However, men, particularly those who are sexually active are also at risk for sexual problems. Whether gay or straight, sexual health is an important aspect of a man’s life and must be paid particular attention to. Threats on men’s sexual health must be prevented and diminished, not only for their safety but also for that of their partners.

Parameters of Male Sexual Health

Men’s sexual health is usually determined by several factors. These factors include the following:

* Physical Health

Men who are physically fit and healthy generally have better sexual health than men who do not look after their diet or practice regular physical activity. Weak cardiovascular constitution, underdeveloped muscles, and poor blood circulation also contribute to poor sexual health. A weak body is also more prone and susceptible to infections which can weaken a man’s resistance to sexually transmitted diseases and infections.

* Psychological Health

Contrary to popular belief, a man’s physical constitution is not the sole determinant of sexual health. Often, some sexual problems are direct effects of a man’s emotional problems. For example, it is commonly observed that physically healthy men who suffer for erectile dysfunction have a serious lack of confidence or are riddled with anxiety performance disorders.

* Social Activities

Men who are in monogamous sexual relationships are at lesser risks for sexual problems compared to men who enter polygamous relationships. Drug addiction also puts a man at a greater risk for infection especially if he uses intravenous drugs.

Risks to Men’s Sexual Health

Male sexual health can be threatened by several diseases and disorders. Some of these risks include:

* Ejaculation Disorders

There are three common forms of ejaculation disorder in men. These are premature ejaculation, retarded ejaculation, and retrograde ejaculation. Premature ejaculation happens when due to an excess of sexual arousal, anxiety, or loss of control, a man ejaculates before or soon after penetration. Retarded ejaculation occurs when an ejaculation comes too slow that prevents orgasm. Retrograde ejaculation happens when the ejaculate is forced back into the bladder instead of being released at orgasm.

* Erectile Dysfunction

Another term for this disorder is impotence. This happens when a man is unable to have or sustain an erection long enough for sexual intercourse and ejaculation. As such, he is unable to introduce his semen into his partner reproductive system to induce a pregnancy. This is often caused by psychological trauma or an effect of certain medications.

* Inhibited Sexual Desire

This can be loosely translated to a loss or decrease in a man’s libido levels. Often associated with low testosterone levels, inhibited sexual desire may also be triggered by medications, psychological problems, and some illnesses like diabetes and high blood pressure.

* Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Infections

Men usually get infected with STIs and STDs following unhealthy and unprotected sexual relationships with an infected partner. Usual signs of STDs and STIs include: difficulty in urinating, bloody urine, foul penile discharge, sores, lesions, and excessive itching in the genitalia.

Immediate medical assistance must be sought when it comes to problems concerning male sexual health. Diagnosis is usually done through physical and psychological exams, as well as a thorough evaluation of medical history. Treatment usually comes in two phases: medical treatment for physical symptoms and psychological therapy for mental and social factors.

More than ever, researchers now consider a person’s age as a significant factor in sexual health. Age has always been a factor, but only because age factors into things like endurance and, theoretically, experience in sexual activities. However, recently concluded studies are starting to show that age may have a more direct impact on a person’s sexual health, particularly if more outside factors are brought into consideration. According to the study, people who lose their virginity at a younger or older age than average (which can be rather subjective, depending on certain community factors) can develop physical and psychological “quirks” related to sex.
One of the first things researchers noted was just how little significant impact abstinence-only education had on the statistics. According to the raw statistical data, people who lost their virginity at a younger age were at a significantly higher risk of acquiring a sexually transmitted disease later on in life than average. It also appeared to increase the chances of a person developing other sexual health risk factors, such as engaging in intercourse with multiple partners and developing a history of alcohol-influenced sexual contact. Knowledge of contraception methods other than abstinence had an impact in reducing the STD risks, but abstinence-only education didn’t show any significant effects and, as implied by some of the data, may actually increase the risks.
Problems with sexual health functions were found to increase for both “early” and “late” people, according to the study’s findings. The results showed that one of the more common problems that cropped up in men was an inability to maintain an erection and premature ejaculations. According to the data, while most men are liable to experience these problems for some time, it is a more prominent and persistent condition for those who lost their virginity earlier or later than the generally accepted average age. Some of the data also indicated that women who engaged in sexual contact earlier or later in life may also have difficulty reaching a state of arousal and experiencing orgasms.
It was noted that young men who started having sex at a later date developed more sexual deviancies and dysfunctions than their counterparts who started earlier. Most of the deviancies can probably be considered mundane, depending on the socio-cultural context they are viewed in, but the dysfunctions have a tendency to be both psychological in nature. This includes conditions where certain environmental “criteria” have to be met before the person can enter a physical state of sexual arousal.
The researchers have admitted that it is currently unclear exactly what the connections are between some deviant sexual behaviors and the age one loses one’s virginity. The findings suggest a complex picture in terms of sexual health and the psychological implications of it, though a cause-and-effect scenario is difficult to discern from the current data. On some aspects, the data has been found to support abstinence-only education, like what is imposed in some public schools. However, other data also indicates that the lack of support and acknowledgment of abstinence-only education can also lead to problems later on, in terms of sexual behavior and practices. At the moment, the researchers have not made any official statements on which side of the argument they favor.