Understanding Male Sexual Desire

When it comes to sexual desire, people often wrongly assume that all men are ready for action anytime.

Not all men are created equal — in the bedroom anyway.

Many people wrongly believe that all men are easily aroused, easily pleased, and of course, easily finished. So much of our media exposure and Hollywood mythology about male sexuality portrays guys as horndogs whose main focus is having sex — and lots of it — and moving on. Male sexual desire is rarely as straightforward and simplistic as the media make it out to be. While it might be true that certain men can become aroused and satisfied quickly, there is much more to male sexual desire than that.

Famed sex researchers Masters and Johnson created a model of the sexual-desire process in the 1960s. According to their research, humans experience sexual desire within these four stages:

1. Excitement phase — in which a person's desire is peaked, either through stimulation, fantasy, or a combination of the two
2. Plateau phase — in which desire increases but orgasm is not quite reached
3. Orgasm
4. Resolution phase — post-orgasm stage

They later discovered another stage that occurs only in men, called the refractory period. It's the stage after orgasm, a cooling-off period men need before they are able to become erect again — as opposed to women, who are capable of multiple orgasms. However, this is not the only difference between the genders. Researchers now argue that while women can climb up and down the sexual-desire stages (from excitement to plateau to orgasm to excitement again), men have a more linear sexual experience. In other words, once they become aroused, they seek satisfaction immediately.

While it might be true that men and women perceive men's sexual process this way, the truth is that it is completely possible for a man to slow down his desire and experience a more sensual and fulfilling side of sex. In fact, when dealing with male sexual dysfunction issues such as early ejaculation the most helpful treatment is for a man to learn how to draw out his sexual response and get in touch with discovering his point of no return. Using a scale from 1 to 4, a man usually will climb from 1 to 2 to 3 to 4, but he could train himself to climb up and down the sexual desire scale from 1 to 2 and back again; this will lengthen his intercourse sessions and make his orgasms that much more intense and pleasurable.

Other people argue that male sexual desire also differs from female sexual desire in that their excitement stage often requires direct and visual stimulation. While a woman might be easily aroused from a racy story or a naughty fantasy, men might require more physical or clear stimulation, such as an X-rated movie or oral pleasure from their partner. Perhaps this is because men are simply used to receiving this stimulation, while women are used to internalizing their desires and utilizing fantasy in the bedroom. Or perhaps men are just hardwired to seek out the attributes they find desirable. Whatever the case, differing sexual-desire models among the sexes can lead to some complications in the bedroom. For instance, while the man can be satisfied with direct stimulation or the sight of his partner in the buff, she might need something more, such as foreplay, romance, or perhaps even a bit of fantasy. Understanding the differences between the male and female sexual experiences can help couples to navigate these issues and create the most satisfying sexual interactions possible.

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Can You Risk Not Using Condoms?

Switching out condoms for a more intimate form of birth control is a big step in your relationship. But knowledge is your best defense against unwanted consequences.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to feel closer to the person you love. Perhaps you've been dating for a long time and share an unshakable emotional connection and an intense sexual chemistry. Maybe, after spending so much time together, both in and out of the bedroom, that little rubber barrier that stands between you is beginning to feel like an unnecessary nuisance. For many couples, choosing a non-barrier method of birth control in lieu of condoms is a totally natural event in the formation of a long-term relationship. However, before taking the plunge, there are facts you should know, precautions you should take, and conversations you should definitely have with your partner.

Know the ABC's of STD's:

The spread of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. One in three men and women has contracted at least one STD by the age of 24. While new medical treatments and tests have given many people a new lease on life following the contraction of such illnesses, the fact remains the same: Most STDs are lifelong afflictions, some of which can have very serious long-term effects, especially for women, whose sexual organs are largely internal.

Just because you can't see the symptoms of an STD doesn't mean it isn't there. For example, each year, more than three million people are infected with the sexually transmitted disease Chlamydia, which is sometimes referred to as the silent STD because often it produces no symptoms. As a result, many men and women don't know they have it. Furthermore, nearly half a million women will develop pelvic inflammatory disease because of untreated Chlamydia, which can result in infertility. Complications in men are rarer.

Know Your Partner: Sit down with your partner and have a discussion at length about your sexual histories. Depending on what kind of a dynamic your relationship has, this may feel awkward. However, it is absolutely necessary for you to know who your partner was with before you and vice versa. If there were any strange physical symptoms or sexual anomalies during sexual experiences either of you have had in the past, now is the time to be open with each other.

Discuss the Consequences: What will be your course of action if you become pregnant? Regardless of what choice you'd make, would your partner be supportive of that choice? Even with another form of birth control, removing the barrier method heightens your likelihood of conceiving, and it's always important to be clear in your communication with your partner.

Get Tested Together: Set up an appointment to get tested together and keep that box of condoms handy until you receive the results! When you do hear from the doctor, show your results to your partner and ask him to do the same. As an act of trust, it will bring you emotionally closer together, and seeing test results is the only way for sure to know what you're signing up for when you remove condoms from your sex life.

It's wonderful to trust your partner, but it's even better to know the two of you are safe and healthy. Get tested — and free your mind for other things!

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Prostate Cancer Myths Debunked in Male

Prostate Cancer Myths Debunked

More than 200,000 U.S. men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, yet many misconceptions continue to surround prostate cancer screening and treatment, Cleveland Clinic urologist Eric Klein, MD, dispels the most common myths.

Click To watch the video !

Prostate Cancer Myths:

Myth No. 1: PSA tests are only valuable for older men.

Myth No. 2: A high PSA score always means prostate cancer.

Myth No. 3: Prostate cancer surgery will ruin your sex life and make you incontinent.

What is Prostate Cancer?
Men with Prostate Cancer have small tumours in the prostate. In the early stages, when the cancer cells are only in the prostate, 90% of the cases can be successfully treated. Unfortunately, during the early stages symptoms are very difficult to recognize. Without regular testing (PSA and DRE) it is very difficult to detect early stage Prostate Cancer. Prostate Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body and produce secondary tumours (metastases) if untreated. At this point the chances of successful treatment are much lower. Prostate Cancer, most commonly spreads to the bones and lymph nodes.

Facts:
The most common cancer in Canadian Men – will afflict 1 in 7 during their lifetime. It is more common where there is a family history and it is being diagnosed more frequently in younger men. Research suggests that diet, environmental factors and genetics can impact Prostate Cancer occurence. It is estimated 25,500 Canadian men will be diagnosed this year, often without symptoms in its earliest, most treatable stage. In BC 3,400 will be diagnosed and 530 will die.

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6 Routine Screenings for Men's Health

Skipping important health tests could be a matter of life and death, especially for men, who are less likely to see their doctors on a regular basis anyway. Don't ignore these essential routine screenings.

By Wyatt Myers

Medically reviewed by Farrokh Sohrabi, MD

When it comes to men and health care, the numbers don't lie: Compared with women, men are 24 percent less likely to visit their doctors in any given year and 22 percent less likely to get their cholesterol checked. They're also less willing to be screened for cancer, despite the fact that their cancer mortality rates are higher.

"Men are stubborn about getting routine health screenings for several reasons," says Jennifer Landa, MD, a preventive medicine specialist in private practice in Orlando, Fla. "One is fear: They are afraid that something might be wrong with them. Second, a lot of men tell me that they are simply too busy. Third, men don't tend to be as tuned in to their bodies as women, so they don't notice small telltale signs that things are amiss and just figure any changes can be chalked up to age."

The problem, she says, is that skipping these routine tests for men's health can often be a matter of life and death. "Screenings are important because they help us catch disease early," says Dr. Landa.

Fortunately, most men's health screenings are simple and quick and can be given in your regular physician's office. Here are six to add to your preventive care plan now:

Blood Pressure Test

A blood pressure screening is one of the easiest, most painless things you can do for your health. It's so simple, in fact, that there's just no excuse not to do it. You often don't even need to go to the doctor — many pharmacies have machines that can check your blood pressure right there in the store.

The National Institutes of Health currently recommends that men between the ages of 18 and 64 be screened at least once every two years, but your doctor may advise more frequent tests depending on how high your numbers are. "The optimal blood pressure ranges are getting tighter," Landa says. "Optimal is now considered less than 120/80, and 110/70 has been shown in some studies to be the blood pressure associated with better clinical outcomes." If your readings are high, your doctor can suggest simple lifestyle changes to decrease them, such as putting you on a salt-restricted diet. "Exercise and weight loss are two other interventions that work great to lower blood pressure," Landa adds.

Cholesterol Test

A cholesterol check is also simple and vital to overall heart health as you age. Measured with a simple blood test, cholesterol screenings for men's health are recommended every five years. You may need them more often, however, if you are over age 45, at high risk for heart disease, or have high levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol or low levels of "good" HDL cholesterol. Optimal cholesterol is less than 200 milligrams per deciliter, but the ratio is important as well, Landa says. "If a patient has an elevated total cholesterol and a very high HDL mg/dL, I may consider the total cholesterol elevation irrelevant." She adds that the optimal LDL is under 100 mg/dL but that some laboratories consider up to 130 mg/dL acceptable. The optimal triglyceride level is under 150 mg/dL.

Prostate Cancer Screening

Prostate cancer screening has been the subject of some controversy recently, in part because of concern over the possibility of false positives and overtreatment, but many experts say men should still be tested. The primary method of screening is the PSA (prostate specific antigen) test, which measures the level of PSA in your blood. Optimal levels are usually considered to be under 4 ng/mL (nanograms per milliliter).

"The necessity of the PSA test has recently been questioned, but since its institution we have seen a 40 percent decline in the rate of prostate cancer," Landa notes. "On the other side of the coin, because the test is not specific for just prostate cancer and [PSA levels] can be raised by other conditions, some question whether it leads to unnecessary intervention when there is a false positive." She recommends discussing with your doctor whether PSA testing is right for you. Another screening option is the digital rectal exam, during which the doctor physically checks your rectum for signs of cancer. Opinion varies widely on how often you should be screened, so talk with your doctor about what kind of schedule is right for you.

Colon Cancer Screening

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, 103,170 new cases of colon cancer will be diagnosed this year alone — more than half of which will be in men. Because of this, current guidelines say that men should start getting checked at age 50.

There are several testing options for colon cancer. A colonoscopy, for example, involves checking the entire colon with a camera on a flexible tube. A flexible sigmoidoscopy is similar but checks just the lower third of the colon. A CT colonography is a less invasive test that examines the colon using computerized tomography, or a CT scan. And a double-contrast barium enema involves filling the colon with a contrasting substance that will help doctors see problems on an X-ray. "Beginning at age 50, men should receive a flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years, a colonoscopy every 10 years, a double-contrast barium enema every 5 years, or a CT colonography every 5 years," says Robert T. Grant, MD, a surgeon with New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center.

Skin Cancer Check

"Men are actually two to three times more likely to get nonmelanoma basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers than women are, and their risk increases as lifetime exposure to sun accumulates," says Dr. Grant. "About every three months, men should do a self-examination for new or changing skin lesions." Also be sure to ask your doctor to check your skin, head to toe, during your yearly physical as part of regular preventive care.

Diabetes Test

"One-third of Americans with diabetes don't know they have it," Grant says. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to heart disease and stroke, kidney disease, blindness from damage to the blood vessels of the retina, nerve damage, and impotence. "If your family has a history of diabetes, consult with your doctor to see how often you should be tested," he adds.

If you show some of the symptoms of diabetes, your doctor will probably check you with a blood test known as a fasting plasma glucose test. If results come back greater than or equal to 126 mg/dL on two separate tests, you may have type 2 diabetes.

Don't let fear keep you from these important checks. "When diseases are picked up early, they are easier to treat and respond better to treatment," says Landa. "In the case of preventive medicine, the way I practice, I frequently find diseases in the state before they are even diseases."

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