Sexuality and Men: Lifestyle, health related to a good sex life as men age
For 20 years, the Harvard Health Professionals Follow-up Study has gathered important information about men’s health. In 2000, it added questions about sexuality to its semiannual surveys. According to the Harvard Men’s Health Watch, the new data offer insight on how men can maintain a satisfying sex life as they age.
Chronic illness and the medications used to treat them account for many of the sexual problems of older men. Sexual dysfunction was most prevalent in men with illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, and even depression. The Harvard Men’s Health Watch points out that one of the striking results of the study was that men with prostate cancer are 10–15 times more likely to experience sexual dysfunction than men without the disease—however, these sexual difficulties typically stem from the treatment rather than the cancer itself.
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