Mens sexual health and why sex is good for your health

By ANNE MAWATHE

From pumps, herbs (miti ni dawa) to pills and concoctions that promise to deliver on performance or size, the internet is awash with all manner of information, some of it misleading.
It gains traction with many people who are embarrassed to seek help because sexual health is still a taboo subject.

Men’s sexual health especially, according to specialists, is a neglected discourse, often because men are not likely to seek medical care until their condition has deteriorated.

While men can freely talk about sex to their peers, when they are faced with problems in the same department, they are quick to cut corners. Herbs, over-the-counter pills that promise to cure it all are some of the places where men seek attention.

When women go to see a gynecologist, men see urologists or an andrologist.

I had the opportunity to speak to Dr. Ajit Saxena, a urologist at Apollo hospital and discussed many issues ranging from performance, erections, taboos and all that shebang about male sexual health.

So what are some of the signs that men should be wary about;

Erectile dysfunction – This is the inability to keep a firm erection for sex. Going by the range and consistency of adverts promising to solve erectile dysfunction, it comes as no surprise that many men who experience it often take the shortest route to solving it.

However, Dr. Saxena says there are many elements to the condition some of them that are physical hence do not need to be solved by popping pills.

There are times also when it is caused by a psychological problem like depression, anxiety or even relationship issues. Drugs, no matter how effective they promise to solve erectile dysfunction will not be a solution if the underlying cause is psychological.

Blood in the urine – This could be a pointer to deeper health concerns like an early warning sign of bladder or kidney cancer.

Leaking urine – Incontinence according to Dr. Saxena is not a sign to ignore. Treatments are many and varied, hence the need to see a specialist.

Other symptoms to watch out for are, difficulty in urinating, decreased sexual desire, infertility or a testicular mass. Men who experience lower abdominal pain are also advised to seek the attention of a urologist.

These symptoms could be a sign of other diseases like hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, cancer among others.