Taking a proactive stance
It is common for ageing men to experience sexual difficulties as a result of waning health, but doctors are reporting that this is not just an issue of age anymore.
Sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy habits are making modern Malaysian men a lot more susceptible to diseases than their predecessors, and unless active measures are taken to turn this trend around, it can cause an inevitable decline into more widespread sexual dysfunction.
Overcoming as one
Dr Mohd Ismail remembers a time when the extent of male involvement in sexual health was providing semen samples for fertility tests.
“It is great that more men know about the variety of issues they could face today and strive to take their sexual health seriously,” he says.
It would therefore be more beneficial to educate men on how to safely and thoroughly manage their sexual health instead of enforcing ideologies of sexuality.
Organisations such as the PT Foundation, for example, provide HIV/ AIDS support and counselling to men who have sex with men and other vulnerable groups, while The Befrienders provides mental and emotional support.
In today’s society, improved attitudes towards sexual and reproductive health mean that men are more concerned and their partners more considerate.
Although the existence of these organisations and changing norms signify growing attention and effort towards bettering the social climate, perceptions of masculinity continue to dictate male attitudes towards sexual health.
The best way to move forward is with an open mind and a primary concern for well- being, which can foster educational discourse in empowering men to love and care for their bodies the same way women are encouraged to.
Truth or myth?
Andrologist Dr Mohd Ismail Mohd Tambi says that many of the common misconceptions his patients have about their sexual health are about masturbation, including:
Excessive masturbation can cause fertility issues as constant ejaculation exhausts semen.
It can cause rapid ejaculation or erectile dysfunction.
However, it is important to remember that:
Excessive masturbation can be detrimental to health as it exhausts the mind and body. Chronic mastubators can make up excuses to keep their habit going.
It can become addictive because of the pleasure and feelings of relief it provides.
It can contribute to overall dissastisfaction with your sex life, as some men become too accustomed to their own methods that they are unable to climax through intercourse with a partner.