Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 4, 2026
04:22
Treatment Model for Young Patients with Psychogenic Erectile Dysfunction and Resultant Infertility
Published on: May 30, 2025
Regular intercourse protects against erectile dysfunction: Tampere Aging Male Urologic Study.
Juha Koskimäki1, Rahman Shiri, Teuvo Tammela
1Tampere University Hospital, Department of Urology, Tampere, Finland. juha.koskimaki@sarment.fi
The American Journal of Medicine
|June 10, 2008
Summary
Regular sexual activity can significantly lower the risk of developing erectile dysfunction in men over 55. Maintaining a healthy sex life is crucial for men's health and quality of life.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Men's Health
- Sexual Health
Background:
- Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a prevalent condition affecting men over 60.
- ED stems from a combination of physiological and psychosocial elements.
- Understanding risk factors is vital for preventative strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between coital frequency and the future risk of erectile dysfunction.
- To determine if sexual activity frequency influences ED incidence in older men.
Main Methods:
- A population-based, 5-year follow-up study in Finland utilized postal questionnaires.
- The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) assessed erectile function.
- 989 men aged 55-75, without baseline ED, were analyzed, considering comorbidities like hypertension and heart disease.
Main Results:
- The incidence of moderate to complete erectile dysfunction was 32 per 1000 person-years.
- Men with intercourse less than weekly had double the incidence of ED compared to those with weekly intercourse (IRR 2.2).
- A clear inverse relationship was observed between intercourse frequency and ED risk.
Conclusions:
- Frequent intercourse acts as a protective factor against erectile dysfunction development in men aged 55-75.
- Promoting sexual activity may positively impact men's overall health and quality of life.
- Healthcare providers should encourage and support patients' sexual activity.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Disorders of the Male Reproductive System
Men's health issues are increasingly recognized as significant, with several conditions posing common threats. Among these, testicular cancer is especially prevalent in younger men, particularly those aged 20 to 35 years. The disease often manifests as a painless mass in the testicles, sometimes accompanied by a sensation of heaviness or a dull ache.
Prostate disorders are another major concern. These conditions can impair urinary flow due to the prostate's location around the urethra. Symptoms...
Prostate disorders are another major concern. These conditions can impair urinary flow due to the prostate's location around the urethra. Symptoms...
01:17Male Sexual Response: Erection & Ejaculation
Sexual stimulation can take various forms, such as physical touch and visual or auditory cues. When this happens, the parasympathetic reflex in the sacral portion of the spinal cord is activated. This reflex stimulates the release of nitric oxide (NO), which then dilates the arterioles in the penis, increasing blood flow to the erectile tissues - the corpora cavernosa and corpus spongiosum.
The blood filling the erectile tissues compresses the veins, which helps to prevent blood from leaving...
The blood filling the erectile tissues compresses the veins, which helps to prevent blood from leaving...
01:28Menopause
Menopause, a natural biological process marking the end of a woman's fertility, typically occurs between the fifth and sixth decade of life. This phase is characterized by the exhaustion of the ovarian follicle pool, leading to less responsive ovaries despite the high levels of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormone (LH). The consequential decrease in estrogen production results in symptoms like hot flashes, heavy sweating, headaches, hair loss, muscle pains, vaginal...
01:23Infertility in Males
Male infertility affects millions of couples worldwide, arising from various factors that impact different stages of the reproductive process. An endocrine imbalance resulting from conditions like hypogonadism, Klinefelter syndrome, or pituitary disorders can disrupt hormone levels and reduce sperm production. Testicular defects, such as tumors, cryptorchidism, atrophic testes, abnormal sperm morphology, and low sperm count or motility, may arise due to genetic factors, structural...
01:28Microbiota of the Urogenital Tract
The human urogenital system, once thought to be sterile in healthy individuals, is now recognized as a complex microbial habitat. Advancements in molecular sequencing techniques have revealed that even in healthy adults, the kidneys and bladder harbor microbial populations similar to those found in the distal urethra, albeit in much lower abundance. These resident microorganisms, while generally innocuous, can become opportunistic pathogens under conditions that alter the urogenital...
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...