The penis is an amazingly complex thing, and it’s a wonder most of them work as desired much of the time. But problems are common and can be very distressing. There are new treatments all the time, so I try to cover this once a year or so.

Erectile Dysfunction (ED)

Not being able to get or keep an erection is rare for younger men, but becomes more common with age. It’s estimated half of the men between 40 and 70 experience some level of ED at least some of the time. That can range from being a bit less hard on occasion to never getting any hint of an erection. It can also mean getting an erection but losing it before or during intercourse.

The first thing to do if you start having problems with erections is to get to a doctor ASAP. Erectile difficulty can be a warning sign of several life-ending conditions. This isn’t always the case, but it’s common enough you should get it checked out. This is especially true if the loss of erection is significant or sudden.

With that out of the way, there are many ways of dealing with this:

• A penis ring: A penis ring helps hold blood in the penis. This can help a man get an erection, and/or help him keep an erection. Be sure you get something that can be removed – there are way too many stories in the news about firemen having to cut a solid ring off some poor fellow’s overly swollen penis. Stretchy rings are a good choice. Limiting use to half an hour is a good idea too. This method is especially good if you are able to get erect but have trouble staying that way.
• Pump and ring: A penis pump creates a partial vacuum around the penis, causing blood to flow in. Once the penis is erect a ring keeps it that way. This will give any man an erection, but if you’re unable to get any degree of erection without the pump the erection resulting from the pump will be wobbly where your penis joins your body. This can make intercourse tricky in some positions, but it’s certainly possible. https://marrieddance.com/shop/for-him/penis-pumps/pump-worx-max-precision-power-pump/?aff=36
• External Support Device: The Erektor, and its knock-offs, are a set of rings and a stiff rod. The small ring goes behind the head of the penis, and the large ring goes against the body. The rod is inserted between the rings, stretching the penis and making it stiff enough for penetration. I know it sounds like it wouldn’t work, but I’ve talked to men who use it and think it’s great. Some say the stimulation of intercourse helps them get an erection, and some are thrilled it lets them keep going after they climax.
• Lower Cost Viagra: There are a lot of Viagra knockoffs out there. All are scams and some are dangerous. However, there is one safe, legal loophole you can exploit with the help of your doctor. There is no generic Viagra yet, but you can get sildenafil, a generic version of Revatio, a drug used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension. It’s the same exact active ingredient, but because Revatio was released earlier than Viagra the patent has expired. It only comes in a 20-mg strength tablet, while Viagra comes in 25-mg, 50-mg, and 100-mg doses. But even if you have to take a couple to get the right does it could save you big time if your insurance isn’t covering Viagra for you. While Viagra goes for almost $50 a dose, sildenafil can be had for $1 or less. Talk with your doctor about this, you will still need a prescription.
• Lose Weight: Extra weight is bad for your erections. I have a friend who used Viagra for several years until he lost a lot of weight and stopped needing it.

Premature Ejaculation (PE)

Premature ejaculation is usually defined as always or almost always ejaculating within one minute of entering the vagina. If you last three minutes but want to go longer, or you climax fast if it’s been a while since you had sex, you’re not suffering from PE.

We still don’t know what causes PE, but it’s not about lack of sex or anxiety. True PE is not “all in his head”, it’s in his body. Research has found the penises of men with PE are more sensitive to vibration. It’s also been shown men with PE have lower levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Research is ongoing, and there are some promising things on the horizon. Until then there are some things that help a bit. Most of these add a minute or two, or triple the length of intercourse. This is less than most couples would like, but some find it a huge improvement.

• Pelvic Exercises: Some good independent studies have found pelvic exercises similar to Kegel’s can help men last longer. One such approach can be found at Between Us Clinic (not an affiliate link), which has an online program for learning to control ejaculation. The program requires about 20 minutes, three times a week. It starts with a couple of masturbation exercises and moves to penetration exercises. Doing the entire program takes 1 to 3 months.
• Desensitising Products: There are a number of sprays and creams that reduce the sensitivity of the penis. Some men say these don’t slow them down they just feel less in the process. Others say these products allow them to last longer and enjoy sex as they do. The ingredients or mix of ingredients makes a difference, and for the most part, it’s a matter of getting what you pay for. Based on my research, it seems Promescent may be the best of these products.
• SSRI’s: Off-label prescribing of various SSRI antidepressants helps some men. Prolonged use is usually necessary, side effects are common, and the drugs may become less helpful over time. There some versions of these drugs being developed specifically for PE, but most are still fighting to get past various regulations.
• Gain Weight: Okay, I’m not recommending this, but a recent study found fatter men tended to last longer. It’s known that fat metabolises testosterone into estrogen, and the theory is this change causes the slowdown.

Links may be monetised
Image Credit: © iprachenko | stock.adobe.com
Shop Amazon ♦ Shop to give links page
We’re donation supported Thanks for your help!
Where we’re going Contact us about speaking