Common and Uncommon Threats to Men’s Sexual Health

3 Common—and 4 Uncommon—Risks to Men’s Sexual Health

You might know some of these threats to your sexual well-being. Others might surprise you.

Author: Kurtis Bright
Published: March 22, 2023

This article is a repost which originally appeared on Giddy

Edited for content. The opinions expressed in this article may not reflect the opinions of this site’s editors, staff or members.

Key Points

‧ Sexual health information is more abundant and easier to access than ever.

‧ Ironically, men are at a greater risk of diseases caused by excess and poor lifestyle choices than ever.

‧ ED is a notorious side effect of common ailments like diabetes and poor cardiovascular health.

Sexual health information is everywhere these days, both quality info and the not-so-high-quality kind that’s widespread on social media platforms. Even with all this access to so much information, though, certain lesser-known threats to our sexual health and fertility may slip under the radar.

At the same time, the seriousness of certain sexual health risks that “everyone knows about” may go ignored.

Here are three of the more common risks to men’s sexual health and fertility, as well as a handful of risks that aren’t always recognized as threats.

What are the biggest risks to men’s sexual health?

When we talk about threats to sexual health, we’re often talking about systemic problems. That is to say, if you’re having a problem with how your penis works, it’s not necessarily about your penis.

In modern society, we tend to view medicine as slapping on a bandage or taking a pill to alleviate the most obvious symptom we can see. In reality, lots of problems you might have in other parts of your body can affect how your penis functions.

“Sexual health is health,” said Justin Dubin, M.D., a urologist and men’s health specialist with Memorial Healthcare System in South Florida. “So sexual health problems, in general, can be a warning sign or a result of other health issues: diabetes, heart issues, infections, depression, anxiety, testosterone issues, obesity, other lifestyle issues—you name it. Having ED is the canary in the coal mine.”

Common sexual health issues

Three of the most common issues that can affect sexual health are cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes. They work against us in different ways.

Cardiovascular disease

Heart disease and vascular problems are strongly associated with erectile dysfunction (ED). A vital component of getting an erection is good blood flow to the penis, and issues such as atherosclerosis and high blood pressure hamper it.

Obesity

Obesity is a big risk factor for ED. One study indicated 79 percent of men who presented with ED were clinically obese, and obesity hampers your heart’s ability to pump blood. Plus, it’s a comorbidity for another risk factor, diabetes.

Diabetes

Diabetes causes a condition called diabetic neuropathy, which affects nerve endings and can result in numbness, tingling and loss of sensation. Along with blood flow, nerves are crucial for the penis to receive the signals from the brain and nervous system to get erect.

“You need to have good nerves in your penis,” Dubin said. “People [with diabetes] who have bad sensation in their feet or fingers or their eyesight, well, the nerves in the penis are very small as well, and poorly controlled diabetes can cause ED.”
Less common risks to sexual health

Four of the less obvious issues that can affect your sexual health include smoking, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), Peyronie’s disease and mental health.

Smoking

The dangers associated with smoking often focus on the lungs and heart, and rightly so. However, a lesser-known effect of smoking is that it’s associated with ED.

“Smoking and ED are linked to overall cardiovascular health,” said Neel Parekh, M.D., a men’s fertility and sexual health specialist with Cleveland Clinic. “It’s associated with cardiovascular disease, so that’s another reason why it can make it more difficult to achieve an erection. It can even affect fertility; smoking has a negative effect on how well the sperm swim.”

Indeed, according to some studies, smoking has a negative impact on semen parameters. Luckily, other studies show that quitting can greatly improve them in a short amount of time.

STIs

When it comes to fertility, another little-known issue some guys may encounter is that sexually transmitted infections can affect your sperm. An STI can travel up the urinary tract and cause problems in the rest of your reproductive system in ways that may affect you long after you’ve taken your antibiotics and the symptoms have gone away.

“Chlamydia and different bacterial infections can lead to epididymitis—the inflammation of the epididymis—which is where sperm is stored,” Parekh said. “These STDs can cause scarring of the epididymis or vas deferens and cause blockages for guys, preventing sperm from traveling through.”

Peyronie’s disease

Another issue that can fly under the radar is Peyronie’s disease. It’s a buildup of fibrous plaque or scarring in the penis that may result in a lump or new curvature that wasn’t there before. It’s thought to affect 1 in 10 men and may come on suddenly due to overenthusiastic sexual activity or over time through buildup. It can also cause erections to be painful during the acute phase.

“Peyronie’s disease is another uncommon disease that some guys will let go unchecked,” Parekh said. “A painful lump in the penis can lead to worsening curvature to the point where they can’t penetrate. Some guys will kind of ignore it for a while; maybe they’re embarrassed by it and they don’t want to tell anybody.”

Mental health

It’s an old trope: The biggest sex organ in the body is the brain. If your emotional state isn’t good, it can have a profound impact on sexual function.

Don’t forget that some antidepressants have a negative effect on sexual function, too, so it’s important to talk with your healthcare provider and make sure you address both mental health and sexual health.

“Mental health is health, too, just like sexual health,” Dubin said. “Depression, anxiety and medications that treat depression and anxiety can cause ED. I always quote the great Robin Williams: ‘God gave man a brain and a penis, and only enough blood to control one at a time.’ So if you’re up in your head, your penis is just not going to work. It’s just not.”

Conclusions

A wide variety of health issues can affect your sexual health and fertility. But perhaps the main takeaway should be that instead of trying to list all the possible factors that could specifically affect your penis, try to remember that the penis is just one part of the intricate and complex machine that is your body. Mess with one part of the network and it’s likely to have downstream effects. Take care of your body, and it’ll take care of you.

If your overall health is solid but erectile dysfunction is an issue, even intermittently, a wearable device free of the side effects of popular medications can restore sexual function. Eddie® is an FDA-registered Class II medical device designed to treat erectile dysfunction and improve male sexual performance. Its urologist-designed shape and fast-acting results allow you to treat your ED with more control. With Eddie, you don’t need to wait for a pill to kick in, use an awkward pump or subject yourself to painful injections.

In 2021 clinical trials, 95 percent of men who used Eddie reported a positive effect on their sex life.

Top 5 Peyronie’s Disease Exercises That Help Reduce PD Symptoms

December 07 2021

This article is a repost which originally appeared on Premier Men’s Medical

Edited for content. The opinions expressed in this article may not reflect the opinions of this site’s editors, staff or members.

Our Takeaways:

· Peyronie’s disease can cause the penis to curve or bend in an abnormal manner.

· Trauma is the typical cause of Peyronie’s.

· Exercises may be used with good effects to help resolve Peyronie’s without surgery.

Peyronie’s Disease is a medical condition that makes the male sexual reproductive organ curve. It loses its strength and girth due to the prevalence of scar tissue surrounding the affected area.

Peyronie’s disease is a common scar tissue disease, affecting 1 in 200 men, and can be acquired due to various reasons. It generally occurs due to:

· Physical injury
· Rough sexual intercourse
· Rough masturbation
· Accidents
· Trauma to the penis

While there are effective methods to treat Peyronie’s disease, such as with injection and surgical removal, Peyronie’s exercises can also help to reduce PD symptoms when completed in tandem with medical guidance and treatments for PD and sexual health.

The most effective time to reduce the symptoms is as early as possible to prevent it from getting into a progressively worse state. This erectile dysfunction disease can be improved effectively by using some of the best-known exercises for Peyronie’s Disease.

Are Peyronie’s Disease Exercises Safe?

Yes. Penile exercises for Peyronie’s Disease are fairly low risk and can even make you feel more comfortable in your body.

However, it’s also crucial to note that certain studies have disputed the use of manual penile exercises because of the lack of credible evidence available at this time in the research process.

It’s important to consult a medical ED professional for a specialized diagnosis and treatment that is unique to your situation, to support any PD exercises you may attempt to perform on your own.

Now let’s cover five of the most common Peyronie’s Disease Exercises to consider implementing.

1. Peyronie’s Disease Exercise: Jelqing

Also known as milking, Jelqing is a non-invasive, device-less penis stretching exercise.

First, you’ll gently massage the base of the penis and motion a circle shape around it. You’ll need to use your thumb and index finger to massage it, slowly tightening the circle and applying pressure to the penis shaft. Then, you inch closer to the penis head and repeat the cycle. Also, keep in mind to reduce any pressure if you encounter any pain.

A single cycle of this massage technique will take around 3 to 5 seconds. Do this for a total of 20 minutes daily for the best outcome.

2. Peyronie’s Disease Exercise: Penis Stretching

Does stretching really help Peyronie’s Disease?

While penis stretching is less accredited by scientific research, it may serve a benefit in combination with medical treatments. Additionally, it is a fairly simple exercise that you can do at home.

Here are the steps to perform penile stretching:

Clutch your penis and pull it vertically upwards. Keep the stance of your stretched penis still for 10 seconds.
After the 10 seconds have passed, pull it to the right and hold for 10 seconds.
After 10 seconds, pull it to the left this time.
Repeat steps 1 to 3 twice every day.

3. Peyronie’s Disease Exercise: Vacuum Erection Devices (VED)

A vacuum erection device is a tool used to help provide men with straighter erections. Men can use the VED, also known as a penis pump, by placing their erect penis inside a cylinder tube. The penis gets pulled in by a suction, and in doing so, this helps produce the effect of a normal erection.

A 2020 study showed promising results of VED. While the participant base is small at just 53 participants, those who had undergone VED traction therapy (n=20) showed significant curvature improvements in their penis compared to those who didn’t use a VED.

The search for more potent alternatives to treating Peyronie’s disease has led some men to try vacuum suspension devices in addition to massaging and stretching exercises.

4. Peyronie’s Disease Exercise: Penile Traction Therapy (PTT)

Penile Traction Therapy (PTT) is a non-surgical treatment for penile curvature that corrects deformities and restores the length of the penis. It’s a novel and seemingly safe approach to correct penis length that uses an external device. The device consists of a plastic support ring, a silicone band, and two dynamic rods, which all cradle and stretch the penis to promote its growth.

Further study and testing by medical experts are required to confirm that it may be used by anybody. However, a recent 2019 study has proven its modest effectiveness in correcting penile curvature in the earlier stage of the disease. It also improves the success rate of people who’ll undergo surgery for more severe cases of Peyronie’s disease.

5. Peyronie’s Disease Exercise: Penile Modeling

Penile modeling is frequently performed by your urologist in conjunction with collagenase injections. It entails manually bending your penis at the direction opposite of where your penis naturally curves due to Peyronie’s disease.

For more severe cases, penile modeling is used in conjunction with insertion of an inflatable prosthesis as part of a surgical procedure.

A study conducted in 2020 concluded that this procedure had a 82% effectiveness rate in reducing penile curvature after 3 months. After 6 months, this jumped to a 92% effectiveness rate.

Don’t try doing this method by yourself. You may risk injury, bruising, or permanent damage, so consult a doctor to see if you’re fit for this procedure.

Does Exercise Help Peyronie’s Disease?

Exercises can support Peyronie’s Disease symptoms; however, medical treatments are often required in addition to this when considering optimal penile health.

Exercises for Peyronie’s Disease should not make your curve worse or cause pain. Rather, it often helps to straighten the penis and bring it back to its normal shape when you have an erection.

Before initiating these PD exercises, it’s best to seek treatment with your doctor to gain access to specific and customized care that fits your needs.

Consult a Sexual Health Professional for a Medical Approach to Treating Peyronie’s Disease

While Peyronie’s Disease is often treated by surgery, there are alternatives to support in reducing the physical deformities of your penis by taking a multi-faceted approach to treatment.

Using a combination of massages, stretches, and other penile exercises, there have been many successful attempts in curing Peyronie’s disease without surgery.

Nonetheless, having a doctor supervise your Peyronie’s disease treatment is not just optimal—it’s mandatory.

The medical professionals at Premier Men’s Medical Center specialize in treating conditions that impact men’s health, including Peyronie’s Disease. Our concierge approach positions each patient’s sexual dysfunction at the centerpoint of our focus. We don’t just give you a pill for ED and send you on your way. We treat the underlying issues that led to conditions such as ED, Low Testosterone, and more. Contact our office today to schedule an appointment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take Control of Your Health During Men’s Health Month

Take Control of Your Health During Men’s Health Month

This article is a repost which originally appeared on U HEALTH

Edited for content.

Jun 07, 2021 8:30 AM

Author: Men’s Health Services

Schedule Preventive Health Care

June is Men’s Health Month, making it a great time for men to get schedule preventive health checkups. Only three out of five men get an annual physical and more than 40 percent of men only go to the doctor when they have a serious medical condition.

We’d like to see a change in those statistics. The majority of health issues men face are more treatable and more manageable in the early stages. Preventive care and checkups are important. I encourage men to take control of their overall health, including their sexual health, which is frequently linked to other, sometimes serious, health issues.

Checking every box on your health care list can seem overwhelming, especially if you’re entering the stage of life in which you need to start screening for different possible health issues.

Where to Start

Start with a couple of easy steps.

1. Find a primary health care provider if you don’t already have one. If you do, schedule an appointment.

2. Make small lifestyle changes.

A. Start exercising regularly, if you don’t already. Even a short walk once a day is a great start.

B. Eat a healthy diet. If you aren’t sure where to start, ask your provider for a referral to a registered dietitian, who can help you set realistic goals.

Do You Need a Men’s Health Provider?

If you’re experiencing any of the following conditions, schedule an appointment with one of our men’s health providers, while you’re at it.

  • Erectile Dysfunction. ED is a common condition that can affect quality of life. It’s common in men after prostate cancer treatment and those with diabetes or cardiovascular disease. ED is treatable with medication and with surgery.
  • Peyronie’s Disease. This condition usually happens to older men. If you’ve got a bent penis, and it is affecting your ability to have an erection or to have sex, you shouldn’t live with it. Several treatment options are available to straighten the penis.
  • Infertility. Men are the cause of infertility in a couple about 50 percent of the time.
  • Low Testosterone. Testosterone can decrease as men age, starting at age 30. If you’re feeling tired or like you’ve lost your edge, low T treatment could help you feel better.
  • Testicular Pain. Many men have testicular pain at some point in their lives, but it’s treatable. If you have aching or pain in your testicles, contact one of our men’s health providers.

Men’s health month is a great reason to think about what’s important to you. Taking care of health issues may seem inconvenient, but it’s more convenient now than it will be if you let them continue for longer! Don’t be afraid to talk to a men’s health provider.

We are here for you.

Understanding male sexual health: More men now reporting low sex drive, Peyronie’s disease, finds study

Understanding male sexual health: More men now reporting low sex drive, Peyronie’s disease, finds study

Scientists found that earlier, more men were diagnosed with erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation.

Myupchar July 20, 2020 22:17:59 IST

This article is a repost which originally appeared on Firstpost.

Edited for content

Male infertility is a topic that is rarely discussed. However, doctors have seen an increase in the number of male patients coming to sexual health clinics to seek help in recent years. Doctors have seen that different sexual health problems are being reported by men which were not prevalent before, also indicating more awareness and openness regarding male sexual health.

Different male sexual health problems

A study published in the journal International Journal of Impotence Research on 1 July 2020 stated that there has been a switch in the sexual problems which males complain about now.

The scientists accumulated complete data of 2,013 patients who were continuously evaluated by a sexual medicine expert between the years 2006 to 2019. The scientists found that 824 patients were assessed for erectile dysfunction, 369 patients were diagnosed with curvature of the penis (Peyronie’s disease), 322 patients had premature ejaculation, 204 suffered from low sex drive and the remaining 294 had other sexual dysfunctions.

In this study, the scientists found that earlier, more men were diagnosed with erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. However, more recently, men have been diagnosed with low sexual desire and Peyronie’s disease.

With the successful treatment options for erectile dysfunction such as Viagra and Cialis and awareness, men have been reporting more about other sexual dysfunctions as well.

Cap-Score: A test to find out sperm quality

Male infertility is one of the major reasons behind the increasing numbers of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) cases throughout the world. Earlier tests like semen analysis, also called seminogram, were done to find out the quality and ability of sperm to fertilize. However, due to the lack of an appropriate diagnostic test for evaluating the fertilizing ability of men, most of the infertility cases get classified as idiopathic or unexplained.

In a recent research article in the journal Reproductive BioMedicine Online, scientists from various universities in the US used Cap-Score to test the sperm capacitation of males.

Sperm capacitation is a natural process where the spermatozoa (motile male sex cell) changes its shape to be able to penetrate and fertilize the female egg. The Cap-Score is a test which determines the percentage of sperm that undergoes capacitation in a certain amount of time. Usually, 35 percent of sperms of a man with normal fertility would undergo capacitation.

In this study, the scientists took the sperm samples from 292 patients and tested their ability to reproduce with the help of traditional sperm analysis test and Cap-Score. Out of these patients, 128 couples became pregnant after three cycles of Intrauterine Insemination (placing sperm inside a woman’s uterus to facilitate fertilisation).

The scientists found that those with high Cap-Score were able to fertilize more efficiently and resulted in a higher number of pregnancies. The scientists also found that men who constantly questioned their fertility showed impaired or reduced capacitation ability.

Benefits of Cap-Score over traditional sperm analysis

Scientists found that traditional semen analysis is unable to identify impairments in fertilising ability, which typically leads to a diagnosis of idiopathic infertility. The scientists found that unlike the traditional semen analysis, capacitation is a better test which helps in determining whether or not there would be a successful generation of pregnancy.

Both these studies indicate that with better awareness of male sexual health issues, men choosing to report as well as get treatment for these diseases, and with the widespread adoption of better sperm analysis tests like the Cap-Score by the medical community, male sexual dysfunction and infertility can be better addressed globally.

For more information, read our article on Low Sperm Count.

Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.

Male Sexual Worries: Trends in the Post-Viagra Age

Male Sexual Worries: Trends in the Post-Viagra Age

This article is a repost which originally appeared on SciTechDaily

Edited for content

Trends in reasons for visiting a the San Raffaele sexual health clinic. Credit: This diagram appears with the permission of the authors and the International Journal of Impotence Research. The EAU thanks the authors, and the journal for their cooperation.

Scientists report a change in why men seek help for sexual problems, with fewer men complaining about impotence (erectile dysfunction) and premature ejaculation, and more men, especially younger men, complaining about low sexual desire and curvature of the penis (Peyronie’s disease).

Presenting the work at the European Association of Urology (virtual) Congress, after recent acceptance for publication, research leader Dr. Paolo Capogrosso (San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy) said:

“Over a 10 year period we have seen a real change in what concerns men when they attend sexual health clinics. This is probably driven by greater openness, and men now accepting that many sexual problems can be treated, rather than being something they don’t want to talk about.”

The success of erectile dysfunction treatments such as Viagra and Cialis, and the availability of new treatments, means that men facing sexual problems have now have treatments for sexual problems which weren’t available a generation ago. Now researchers at San Raffaele Hospital in Milan have studied why men come to sexual health clinics, and how this has changed over a 10-year period.

In what is believed to be the first research of its kind, the scientists questioned 3244 male visitors to the San Raffaele Hospital Sexual Health Clinic in Milan over a 10 year period (2009 to 2019), and classified the main reason for the visit. They found that the number of patients visiting with erectile dysfunction problems increased from 2009 to 2013, then started to decrease.

There were comparatively few patients complaining of low sex drive or Peyronie’s disease in 2009, but complaints about both of these conditions grow from 2009 to the end of the study. In 2019 men were around 30% more likely to report Peyronie’s disease than in 2009, and around 32% more likely to report low sexual desire.

The amount of men complaining of premature ejaculation dropped by around 6% over the 10-year period. The average age of first attendance at the clinical also dropped, from a mean of 61 to 53 years.

“Erectile dysfunction is still the main reason for attending the clinic, but this number is dropping, whereas around 35% of men attending the clinic now complain of Peyronie’s disease, and that number has shown steady growth,” said Paolo Capogrosso. “Our patients are also getting younger, which may reflect a generational change in attitude to sexual problems.”

Dr. Capogrosso continued “We need to be clear about what these figures mean. They do not indicate any change in the prevalence of these conditions, what they show is why men came to the clinic. In other words, it shows what they are concerned about. The changes probably also reflect the availability of treatments; as treatments for sexual conditions have become available over the last few years, men are less likely to suffer in silence.”

These are results from a single centre, so they need to be confirmed by more inclusive studies. “Nevertheless there seems to be a growing awareness of conditions such as Peyronie’s disease, with articles appearing in the popular press*. In addition, we know that the awareness of this condition is increasing in the USA and elsewhere, so this may be a general trend,**” said Dr. Capogrosso.

Commenting, Dr Mikkel Fode (Associate Professor of Urology at University of Copenhagen), said:

“Although these data are somewhat preliminary as they stem from single institution they are interesting because they allow us to formulate several hypotheses. For example the drop in men presenting with erectile dysfunction may mean that family physicians are becoming more comfortable addressing this issue and that the patients are never referred to specialized centers. Likewise, the simultaneous drop in age at presentation and increase in Peyronie’s disease and low sex drive could indicate that both men and their partners are becoming more mindful to optimizing their sex lives. I will be very interesting to see if these trends are also present in other centers around the world.”

Dr. Fode was not involved in this work, this is an independent comment.

References:

* “Trends in reported male sexual dysfunction over the past decade: an evolving landscape” by Edoardo Pozzi, Paolo Capogrosso, Luca Boeri, Walter Cazzaniga, Rayan Matloob, Eugenio Ventimiglia, Davide Oreggia, Nicolò Schifano, Luigi Candela, Costantino Abbate, Francesco Montorsi and Andrea Salonia, 1 July 2020, International Journal of Impotence Research.

** “The Prevalence of Peyronie’s Disease in the United States: A Population-Based Study” by Mark Stuntz, Anna Perlaky, Franka des Vignes, Tassos Kyriakides and Dan Glass, 23 February 2016, PLOS ONE.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150157
PMCID: PMC4764365

Male Sexual Worries: Trends in the Post-Viagra Age

Male Sexual Worries: Trends in the Post-Viagra Age

This article is a repost which originally appeared on SciTechDaily

Edited for content

Trends in reasons for visiting a the San Raffaele sexual health clinic. Credit: This diagram appears with the permission of the authors and the International Journal of Impotence Research. The EAU thanks the authors, and the journal for their cooperation.

Scientists report a change in why men seek help for sexual problems, with fewer men complaining about impotence (erectile dysfunction) and premature ejaculation, and more men, especially younger men, complaining about low sexual desire and curvature of the penis (Peyronie’s disease).

Presenting the work at the European Association of Urology (virtual) Congress, after recent acceptance for publication, research leader Dr. Paolo Capogrosso (San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy) said:

“Over a 10 year period we have seen a real change in what concerns men when they attend sexual health clinics. This is probably driven by greater openness, and men now accepting that many sexual problems can be treated, rather than being something they don’t want to talk about.”

The success of erectile dysfunction treatments such as Viagra and Cialis, and the availability of new treatments, means that men facing sexual problems have now have treatments for sexual problems which weren’t available a generation ago. Now researchers at San Raffaele Hospital in Milan have studied why men come to sexual health clinics, and how this has changed over a 10-year period.

In what is believed to be the first research of its kind, the scientists questioned 3244 male visitors to the San Raffaele Hospital Sexual Health Clinic in Milan over a 10 year period (2009 to 2019), and classified the main reason for the visit. They found that the number of patients visiting with erectile dysfunction problems increased from 2009 to 2013, then started to decrease.

There were comparatively few patients complaining of low sex drive or Peyronie’s disease in 2009, but complaints about both of these conditions grow from 2009 to the end of the study. In 2019 men were around 30% more likely to report Peyronie’s disease than in 2009, and around 32% more likely to report low sexual desire.

The amount of men complaining of premature ejaculation dropped by around 6% over the 10-year period. The average age of first attendance at the clinical also dropped, from a mean of 61 to 53 years.

“Erectile dysfunction is still the main reason for attending the clinic, but this number is dropping, whereas around 35% of men attending the clinic now complain of Peyronie’s disease, and that number has shown steady growth,” said Paolo Capogrosso. “Our patients are also getting younger, which may reflect a generational change in attitude to sexual problems.”

Dr. Capogrosso continued “We need to be clear about what these figures mean. They do not indicate any change in the prevalence of these conditions, what they show is why men came to the clinic. In other words, it shows what they are concerned about. The changes probably also reflect the availability of treatments; as treatments for sexual conditions have become available over the last few years, men are less likely to suffer in silence.”

These are results from a single centre, so they need to be confirmed by more inclusive studies. “Nevertheless there seems to be a growing awareness of conditions such as Peyronie’s disease, with articles appearing in the popular press*. In addition, we know that the awareness of this condition is increasing in the USA and elsewhere, so this may be a general trend,**” said Dr. Capogrosso.

Commenting, Dr Mikkel Fode (Associate Professor of Urology at University of Copenhagen), said:

“Although these data are somewhat preliminary as they stem from single institution they are interesting because they allow us to formulate several hypotheses. For example the drop in men presenting with erectile dysfunction may mean that family physicians are becoming more comfortable addressing this issue and that the patients are never referred to specialized centers. Likewise, the simultaneous drop in age at presentation and increase in Peyronie’s disease and low sex drive could indicate that both men and their partners are becoming more mindful to optimizing their sex lives. I will be very interesting to see if these trends are also present in other centers around the world.”

Dr. Fode was not involved in this work, this is an independent comment.

References:

* “Trends in reported male sexual dysfunction over the past decade: an evolving landscape” by Edoardo Pozzi, Paolo Capogrosso, Luca Boeri, Walter Cazzaniga, Rayan Matloob, Eugenio Ventimiglia, Davide Oreggia, Nicolò Schifano, Luigi Candela, Costantino Abbate, Francesco Montorsi and Andrea Salonia, 1 July 2020, International Journal of Impotence Research.

** “The Prevalence of Peyronie’s Disease in the United States: A Population-Based Study” by Mark Stuntz, Anna Perlaky, Franka des Vignes, Tassos Kyriakides and Dan Glass, 23 February 2016, PLOS ONE.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150157
PMCID: PMC4764365