June is Men’s Health Month and the time when we celebrate fathers everywhere. The purpose of Men’s Health Month is to heighten the awareness of men’s health problems and to encourage early detection and treatment of disease or disorders. What better time to discuss the topic of male sexual wellness? It is estimated that 40-70% of men experience sexual dysfunction at some time in their lives. For some men, it can be daunting to talk about their sexual issues and to seek help. Most importantly, sexual issues can be early markers of another disease. For example, many men who were seen in the emergency room for a cardiac event – such as a heart attack or stroke – suffered from erectile dysfunction or impotence three to five years earlier. Most often, these diseases can be effectively treated when detected early. Male sexual health is such an integral part of a man’s life that sexual issues can have a large impact on a man’s emotional well-being.
It is important to determine the underlying cause of male sexual problems as well as to seek care from your physician to develop a plan. While it can be intimidating for some men to talk about their sexual issues, sexual issues are very common and shouldn’t be an embarrassing topic. Read Dr. McInnis’ blog on Male Sexual Wellness to learn about common causes of sexual issues and approaches to treatment. Many believe that male sexual health is purely driven by hormones but there are numerous factors that can impact sexual wellness including a range of physical, social, interpersonal and psychological elements. NaturoMedica physicians are well versed in assessing male sexual concerns and can offer advanced cardiovascular testing to be sure circulation is at peak performance for the southern hemisphere. Additionally, further testing may be warranted such as adrenal and/or hormone testing which are important in the overall evaluation of male sexual health concerns. As naturopathic physicians, we have many options for assessment and treatment of male sexual disorders. We recognize that this is not always an easy or open topic for discussion but encourage our male patients as well as their partners to come in for an appointment.
