If your partner has trouble getting or maintaining an erection, you’re not alone. And it’s not your fault. Adult sexual dysfunction is very common, as adult sexuality issues are often undertreated due to stigma and shame. It’s always important to talk to your partner about adult sex, but communication is especially important when it comes to issues like adult sexual dysfunction. Here’s how you can support your partner and continue to have a satisfying sex life into adulthood.
By the way, while anyone with a penis can suffer from adult sexual dysfunction, most of the research on adult sexual dysfunction has focused on men.
Understand what you’re dealing with
Understanding what’s going on is the first step for both partners. Adult sexual dysfunction is the inability to get or keep an erection strong enough for adult sex. Erection is all about blood flow. It takes about six times as much blood flow to supply the penis with the blood it needs for an erection. When a man with a penis becomes aroused, the brain sends a message to the blood vessels in the penis, causing them to dilate and allow blood to flow. The increased pressure traps blood in the penis, maintaining an erection. Insufficient blood flow or lack of blood in the penis can cause sexual dysfunction in adults.
Difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection occurs up to 20% of the time in most men with a penis and is often a situational or short-term sexual dysfunction in adults. Adult sexual dysfunction is not just a problem in the mid-to-late life expectancy and, although common, is not a part of normal aging. However, knowing how widespread it is can help you and your partner normalize the problem.
Adult sexual dysfunction can have many different causes.
Adult sexual dysfunction can be due to physical and psychological causes, and often both. The most common physical causes are poor blood circulation, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol. Adult sexual dysfunction can also be caused by certain medical conditions, medications, or hormonal imbalances. Lifestyle factors such as drug, alcohol, and tobacco consumption, unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, high blood pressure, etc. Since arousal begins in the brain, psychological causes are very common. One of the most common is adult sexual performance anxiety. This is a type of anxiety that causes tension before or during sexual intercourse in adults. Adult sexual performance anxiety can occur for a variety of reasons, from adult sexual performance and body image issues to stress related to non-sexual aspects of life.
Understanding the cycle of adult sexual dysfunction
when it comes to adult sexual dysfunction, stress and anxiety go hand in hand. Often, stress is the underlying factor, which then triggers anxiety. This fear causes more stress, creating a vicious cycle. Remember that erections have everything to do with blood flow? Stress stimulates the production of hormones like adrenaline, which causes blood vessels to constrict. This redirects blood flow from the penis to the heart and lungs, raising blood pressure and making it more difficult to get and keep an erection.
In many ways, this is a self-fulfilling prophecy. This example can create fear among adults about future sexual interactions. This fear can become so strong that it reduces performance and increases anxiety for the next interaction. It may not be long before someone is unable to perform to the point where their anxiety increases.
