Surgery to treat many diseases e.g. prostate cancer may cause physical trauma due to damage of the nerves and vascular supply. Damage to the nerves can mean that there might be less sensation in the penis and less signalling to it from the brain (referred to as neuropathy). This in turn makes it more difficult to get and maintain an erection. If you have had pelvic surgery and are experiencing erectile dysfunction, or are concerned about sexual intercourse, it is important that you ask your doctor for help.
Another important suggestion would be that George tells his GP or therapist what medication he is currently taking as erection dysfunction could be side effects of some medication. Medication that is notorious to effect erection and sexual drive are anti-depressants and anti-hypertension tablets.
George has a new partner so it could be that he has performance anxiety when being intimate with her. Therefore, relaxation techniques and communication exercises might help him feel more at ease in this department. Other relationship issues are also known to effect men’s erection. Opposite to general belief men are affected by relationship issues and if they are not happy in a relationship it might cause for their body to reject the idea to have sex with their partner. Other relational causes known to effect erections are fear of fatherhood, when the man consciously, or unconsciously is scared of parenthood and therefore his body reacts by not “letting him have sex”.
Other psychological factors that might cause erection problems are stress, both at home and otherwise. It is a basic human function which helps keep our species as strong as possible. If we are not happy or worried about our life situation we do not feel like having sex. This happens so that we do not procreate unless we are in a stable enough environment to take care of our offspring. Therefore, if we feel depressed, unhappy or anxious we tend to not feel like having sex.
As was explained erection problems can be caused by several bigger problems. Take your time to explore other treatments and work on the causes before popping the pill. If George is suffering from a medical or physical problem, it would be wiser to repair the damage causing the problem with his erection rather than getting an erection and leave the causing problem getting worse. If the problem is of a psychological nature once George stops taking the pill he will revert back to suffering from erection difficulties once he stops taking it. This is why it is very important to consult a therapist or doctor when you experience erectile dysfunction.
-Matthew Bartolo is a counsellor specialising in sex & relationships. He sees individuals and couples with issues related to sexuality, sex, and relationships. He can be contacted on matthew@willingness.com.mt