Men Have Low Awareness of Erectile Dysfunction and Its Effects, Study Shows

A new survey conducted on 1,000 men aged over 40 reveals that just over ten per cent of men in their early 40s are aware that erectile dysfunction strikes regularly in the fourth decade even though evidences suggests that 40% of men aged 40 or over have some form of the condition.

The study, commissioned by Eli Lilly and Company Limited (Lilly UK) as part of a new erectile awareness campaign, also showed that most men are not aware that erections problems could be a warning sign of even serious conditions such as heart diseases and cancer.

This just justified that most men don't worry too much about their health, especially their sexual health, unless they can already see symptoms of long-term medical conditions.

Further, the survey shows that less than one fifth of men have visited their GP in the last 12 months, and that men in their 40s are likely to put off visits to their GP until they consider their symptoms to be long-term or worsening. But these men can be optimistic about finding a solution; 95% of ED cases can now be treated by the health care professional once reported.

The survey was commissioned as part of the new ED disease awareness campaign 40over40, from Lilly UK, which has been designed to educate men on the causes of ED and who it affects, and encourage them to seek help.

Adult Stem Cell Therapy For Erectile Dysfunction

A new experiment on stem cell research shows great promise for the technology on stem cell as a cure for erectile dysfunction on older men. According to a study being conducted by several researchers from the American Urological Association, headed by Dr. Tom Lue, it is possible for a autologous adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) to be used to regenerate erectile function.

In adipose tissue there are stem cells as demonstrated by immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR and Western blotting experiments. The adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) reside near small blood vessels. CD34 staining identifies 60% of peri-vascular areas as harboring ADSCs. It occurs in new blood vessels, and is a sign of regeneration. ADSCs can be harvested by liposuction or fat excision. Adipose cells are digested and ADSCs are cultured for further induction, labeling or gene transfection. ADSCs can also be used for in vivo tissue engineering. In vitro induction can result in hepatocytes, beta cells to produce insulin or endothelial cells. In vivo, ADSCs placed in muscle can differentiate into skeletal muscle, placed near blood vessels become smooth muscle and in fat can become fat cells. The differentiate into component cell types and integrate into the tissue. Four weeks after injection of ADSCs following cavernous nerve crush injury in a rat model, there is return of function.

A study showed injection of umbilical cord blood stem cells into men having failed PDE5 inhibitors resulted in improved erectile function. This is only a pilot experiment, but shows great promise.

These results were presented by Dr. Lue at the Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association held at Orlando, Florida las May 2008.

Stomach Surgery May Save Sex Life of Obese Men

According to a research recently presented at the 103rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association, losing weight may actually help resolve erectile dysfunction in obese men. This after finding out that morbid obesity can cause sexual dysfunction independent of other common confounders such as diabetes, hypertension and smoking.

In this study, several obese men who underwent gastric bypass surgery for them to lose weight found out that their sexual function was normalized after the operation.

"This study shows that weight loss and other risk factors which are alleviated by weight loss may be keys to restoring sexual function," said Anthony Y. Smith, M.D. "These results give men another reason to improve their health by losing weight."

For this study, 95 patients who are about to undergo gastric bypass surgery for weight loss were asked to complete the Brief Sexual Inventory (BSI) pre- and post-operatively. On average, BSI scores improved in all categories, including sexual drive, erectile function, ejaculatory function, problem assessment and sexual satisfaction. The amount of weight lost predicted the degree of improvement in all areas of the survey.

Gastric bypass surgery, a procedure that reduces the body's caloric intake, can be used to induce significant weight loss in the obese. Calorie reduction is accomplished by making the stomach smaller and bypassing part of the stomach and small intestines so that fewer calories are absorbed. The patient feels full faster and learns to reduce the amount of food that he/she eats.

Work-related Stress Can Trigger Erectile Dysfunction

A new study has shown that one in every ten men experience erectile dysfunction as a result of work-related stress. The same study also revealed that one in five men suffer a loss of sexual libido. This suggests that 90% of men have shown at least one clinical feature of stress due to work but only 54% know that stress from work may be the cause of their sexual condition.

Stress, either from work or at home, is known as one of the common cause of ED because it is associated with low testosterone levels.

Unfortunately, only 44% of men with this condition won't go to their doctors for consultation. The majority of those who do consult professional help in dealing with this problem only do so after 17 months of their first symptom.

One of the researchers who conducted the study said that work-place stress clearly has a strong impact on the incidence of erectile dysfunction in men. Men should think about the underlying cause of their ED, including how to combat their stress levels; not staying too late at work, a balanced and healthy diet, and regular exercise.

Female Hormone To Prevent HIV in Men

A study published in PLoS ONE (plosone.org), an open-access, online scientific journal from the Public Library fo Science, suggests that the female hormone estrogen when applied to the penis boosts a defensive protein that acts as a "living condom" and could reduce a man's risk of contracting HIV.

This is after a group of researchers from the University of Melbourne in Australia did an experiment where they applied the oestrogen cream oestriol, a substance used to treat prolapse in women, to the inner foreskin of the penis and found out that this increased the protein keratin in the skin by four-fold acting like a barrier against HIV. They described this keratin as a "natural condom" or a "biological membrane which HIV can't get through."

By using the keratin, the researchers is hoping that they can increase the body's natural defense against the virus so it can't physically inject itself to the body.

Though the treatment has worked in the laboratory, further tests are still needed, one of which will be a clinical trial in Africa.

Although the treatment did not protect against other sexually transmitted infections, it could be a simple, inexpensive and effective guard against HIV that could be applied once weekly or eventually have applications in condoms and lubricants. And if the trials become successful, treatment could significantly reduce HIV/AIDS caseloads over time.

Aphrodisiacs May Kill You

After a man died from poisoning caused by an aphrodisiac he used made out of toad venom, New York health officials are warning the public to stir clear from this illegal aphrodisiacs that are becoming popular.

The city's poison control issued this warning after they received a medical report from a local hospital indicating that a 35-year-old man who consumed a hard, brown substance believed to have been toad aphrodisiac. The product, usually sold under names likes Piedra, Love Stone, Jamaican Stone, Black Stone and Chinese Rock, are becoming popular and readily available in many sex shops and neighborhood stores.

The products popularity got higher even after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned them from being sold to th public.

City health officials stated that the victim was admitted to the hospital after complaining chest and abdominal pain. He died only two days after. They also said that this was cause by one of the ingredients of the aphrodisiac, Bufo genus, which contains chemicals that can disrupt heart rhythms.

The aphrodisiac was supposed to have been applied to the skin, not eaten, but authorities said even that use can be harmful. People should just not use them.

That same product have also killed a 40-year-old man from Brooklyn in 2002, and four others in the earlt 1990s. Another 17-year-old boy also got seriously ill from using the product but was able to survive after extensive medication and treatments.

Technology Can Kill Our Sex Lives

Just weeks after a New York study reported that there are possible links to having low sperm count on men and their excessive cellular phone use, another survey conducted by the Solutions Research Group now states that technology and the way people today spend big money on them, can eventually kill human sexuality.

According to the group, who conducted the survey on some 25 million Americans, said that people who owns and uses laptops, mobile phones and other gadgets are starting to have what they called "feelings of disorientation and nervousness when they are deprived of Internet or wireless access for a period of time." These feelings of anxiety are in turn, being manifested in their sexual relationship with their partners.

According to the group, 68 per cent of Americans feel this sense of anxiety when they are not jacked into the global mind grid of the Net. These results are published on a report called "Age of Disconnect Anxiety."

It is definitely tough to look forward to, or even enjoy, sex if your are anxious.

Though the group who did the study stated that these results are not conclusive, they still strongly believe that people should have time for their personal lives, including the sexual aspect of it, without using their gadgets and any form of technology to at least minimize their anxiety and between partners.

Your Sex Questions, Answered!

You've heard them millions of time. You yourself asked it more times than that. But just like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, the answers to our sex quandaries have eluded us many times more than we can count. Maybe it's because of its taboo nature or we are just too embarrass to really make a serious conversation about it but let's all admit it, we want answers that can satisfy us when we ask questions about our sexuality and sex lives.

Is my penis the right size? How long should I last to satisfy my lover? Where exactly is her G-spot? Get ready to be blown away because we have the answers for you.

Penis Talk

Men have always been insecure when it comes to their penis size. I know for a fact that every guy out there experienced discomfort whenever they get inside the locker room to take a shower and change their clothes in front of other guys. There's always the anxiety about being laughed on and teased by the others because your peepee might not measure up to them. Masculinity and male power has always been equated to the size of the penis and it will stay like that for more years to come. And the idea that "the bigger, the better," which is a complete myth by the way according to many studies in past, just adds to the pressure on the male population. So finally, what really is the average size of a guy's penis?

Cold hard fact: the average penis size is between five and six inches, when ERECT! On the flaccid state, it should be around three and a half inches.

Spotting the G-spot

For a very long time, the existence of the G-spot on the female anatomy has been debated and the idea of the vaginal orgasm widely criticized. The G-spot, named after German doctor Ernst Grafenberg who first wrote about this female part, is the erogenous zone in the anterior vaginal wall that triggers the much elusive vaginal orgasm on women. Vaginal orgasms are said to be elusive because they are considered as the more powerful climax for women as compared to clitoral orgasms because it involved penile penetration. And as according to psychologist Sigmund Freud, "if a woman couldn't be satisfied by penetrative sex, something must be wrong with her." So to prove that women are not abnormal just because they can't have orgasms through penetration, we asked where really is the G-spot located?

Cold hard fact: Though there are still no scientific basis for the existence of the G-spot, it is believed to be located inside the front wall of the vagina. It is really not a spot, but more of a zone that is only two-and-a-half to five centimeters in size. If you wanna explore it and try whether it really can induce sexual arousal, feel it inside the vagina. It is a bit of a rough area in there, a bit like a walnut, and is not smooth and silky like the rest of the vaginal wall.

Blowing Off Early

Premature ejaculation is the most common form of sexual dysfunction on men, affecting 20 to 30 per cent of the male population. That is why this concept has been a frequent topic involved in most sex myths. The question of how long can a guy last and how long should he last to satisfy her partner have been thrown more times than a baseball in a baseball game. The fact that the definition of the term itself is a bit blurry adds to the confusion on this topic. There are men who ejaculates within a minute but says that they don't have premature ejaculation problems. Some can last up to 20 minutes but still think they do have problems. So what really right time to be not considered a to not having premature ejaculation?

Cold hard fact: if you want to hear a number, the average time of penetration time for men is around 5.4 minutes. But there is really no exact number that can say how much time does a man need to be able to satisfy his partner. Sex therapist advice men though to be less anxious when having sex to be able to make sure that he is doing it right for his partner. Many techniques have been offered to men so they can manage their anxiety and prolong their time of ejaculation. And contrary to popular belief, distraction or decreasing stimulation won't help either. The way to be able to last longer is by getting used to intense stimulation and just being able to enjoy it.

So there you go, answers to some of your sex questions. I just hope you learn something from this.

Study Shows ED Affects Self-esteem and Ego

A recent study conducted in London showed that erectile dysfunction does have very drastic effects on men suffering such an ailment, which initially affects their sexual capability up to ultimately damaging their self-esteem and ego. According to the study, a third of men suffering erectile dysfunction who took anti-impotence drugs which did not work gave up sex entirely.


The study was done on some 631 men with an average age of 55 and are all suffering erectile dysfunction. All at some point on their lives had taken pills and medication for condition, 30% of which have now stopped taking the drugs.

When the pills did not work for the first time, 68% of the men reported loss of self-esteem, 32% felt depressed and 24% said they believe that their condition are already untreatable.

But the most surprisingly data gathered from this study is that one-third of the sample population did not return to their doctors to try alternative treatments after the failed attempt. According to the study, "these data confirm that men are still reluctant to seek help for their erectile dysfunction and highlight the importance of first-time success on improving aspects of well-being."