Shh… We don’t want the men to hear! Or do we?

Women’s issues have sat in the limelight for ages.  Specialists and General Practitioners alike have developed thriving businesses focused solely on research and treatment of the female system.  Somehow, this has allowed for men to take a backseat in their well being and transfer the focus to the opposite gender.  With this has developed the taboo around the male anatomy and the all-too-common disorders from which men can also suffer.

With the dawning of the “Little Blue Pill”, Viagra has shined a much needed spotlight back on men and the issues that they too can experience.  Viagra was to bring forth revolution in the caring for prostate disorders, erectile disorders and men’s health in general.  There was one thing that the medical field forgot about though: a man’s stubborn ability to avoid discussion.  Without the initial discussion with a doctor, the issue will still go untreated.  Men will suffer the embarrassment and discomfort of erectile difficulty simply to avoid facing the issue.  What is with us?

No one is a fan of discussing their personal problems in a public format, unless you allow your disorder to define you, and that’s a whole other set of issues!  This taboo has muzzled men and somehow this has become ok.  Our stigma around male virility and the supposed “drive” every man has to hump anything in sight has lead us to stereotype and suppress men into sexual silence.

Is male sexual silence a socially imposed issue, or is it self-imposed?

The younger generation, or “Generation Next”, has started to mature into adulthood, but are we really any better than our forefathers, the “Baby Boomers”?  Research has shown that 1 in 9 or 10 to 15 million American men live with impotence.  1 IN 9!  That’s an insane rate of prevalence and one that we hear very little about.  “Why is that?”, you might ask.  Well, out of that 1 in 9 ratio, only 10% of those men will acknowledge the issue and seek treatment.  It’s common for men to psych themselves out of an erection, and the vast majority of men will lose an erection 20% of the time. Those suffering with erectile dysfunction can experience a loss of erection prior to ejaculation or inability to become erect 50% of the time.  80% of the time, the issues regarding impotence are pre-existing physiological conditions, while the remaining 20% are due to psychological causes.

Men need to start allocating a neuron or two to their own well being.  Silence has benefitted no one, and in more severe cases such as testicular cancer or prostate cancer, silence can be severe and devastating.  Diabetes, kidney disease, chronic alcoholism, multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis, vascular diseases and psychological interferences can all be dangerous root causes for impotence and, without medical diagnosis, may go unnoticed until too late.

Whether it’s socially or individually propagated, the strong, silent warrior that men seem to be striving for is helping no one.  Whether it’s talking to a loved one, a family doctor or a trusted health care practitioner, men need to step up and take responsibility for their own health.  Encouraging those close to you to get regular check-ups, being aware of the signs of sexual withdrawal or creating a safe haven to discuss touchy or taboo topics are ways to break down this sexual barrier.

Alternative healthcare practitioners can encourage and support those suffering with impotence.  Whether it’s supporting essence through acupuncture, encouraging whole body blood flow and mental relaxation through visceral massage, tonifying natural reflex arcs with reflexology, clearing psychological issues with counseling or even strengthening organ systems with the help of a nutritionist or herbalist; your everyday practitioners can be a pillar of strength.  Men may wish to clam up and avoid giving true and exact details surrounding their sexual health when honesty and frankness is the only solution.

Specifically, the goal of an acupuncture treatment would be to balance and regulate physiological responses.  By choosing a series of points, we can support a man’s kidney yin, yang and essence.  Essence by definition is the crucial source from which we draw the vast majority of our energy and strength.  It is important to realize that if one part of our physical self is out of balance, we will have adverse physical effects as a result of our body compensating.  Supporting all of our organs will encourage an overall healthy state. Heart, liver, spleen and gall bladder can have specific effects on sexual performance.  Tonifying these organs will minimize the effects of impotence and treat possible underlying causes.  Using acupuncture with the purpose of relaxation will have a soothing effect on the psyche helping those with root causes in depression, fear, stress, fatigue or even the ever troublesome “performance anxiety.”

Intercourse is not supposed to be scary and uncomfortable. My suggestion to men is, since you can’t seem to stop bragging about it, grow a pair and do something!  Instead of gloating about the size of it, maybe talk about how healthy you are; after all, your sex-life should be anything but silent.

Adam Salzman is a gentle and intuitive acupuncturist at Prana Holistic. Working with the breath of each client, Adam makes acupuncture both healing and relaxing.