Nearly every culture in every period of history has a record of substances alleged to stimulate sexual desire and improve virility. Medical science has found no evidence that these aphrodisiacs work, but that has not stopped people from using them. If you’ve been looking for a substance to boost your sexual performance, make sure you have all the facts before you ingest, apply, or otherwise try anything advertised as an aphrodisiac, including these five items: 1) Plant- and animal-based herbal remedies – Spanish fly, L-arginine, gingko, ashwagandha or “Indian ginseng,” the Mexican herb damiana, the plant extract called pygeum, and […]
Top Five Questions Every Gay Man Should Be Asking His Doctor
Gay, straight, bi, or trans, men of all sexual preferences sometimes feel embarrassed talking to their doctors about sex. Unless their physician directly addresses the issue, some men may avoid it, even when a serious problem may be present. Here are five key issues that gay men in particular should be talking about with their doctors. 1) Im considering taking an oral erectile dysfunction medication. How will that medication interact with others drugs Im taking? Before taking any of the oral erectile dysfunction drugs (such as Viagra), you should consult your doctor and discuss any potential complications with other medications […]
What Should Men Do for Their Sexual Health in the New Year?
As men age, they need to keep up with their sexual health in different ways. Here are the most important tips for every decade of your life, from your 20s to your 80s and beyond. Your 20s are the years for pursuing enhanced sexual health by following a vigorous exercise program and a diet high in protein and low in fat and carbohydrates. Pay meticulous attention to weight control by stepping on a scale every day. If you are above your target weight, eat less the next day so that your weight remains stable. Have as much safe sex as […]
Four Reasons You Should Have a PSA Test
A virtual firestorm erupted in 2011 with the publication of the US Preventive Services Task Force’s draft recommendation that healthy men should no longer receive a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test to screen for prostate cancer because “the test does not save lives overall and often leads to more tests and treatments that needlessly cause pain, impotence, and incontinence,” according to an October 2011 New York Times article. The final version of the USPSTF recommendation was released in May 2012. As of 2019, the USPSTF has amended its recommendation to say that the decision to run a PSA blood test […]
Gay Love Across the Generations
Love knows no gender; love knows no age. Many gay couples are in intergenerational relationships – so how do they handle the differences in their bodies that naturally come with age? How do they work with the diminished desire that comes with decreased circulating testosterone in the older partner? Certain adjustments might have to be made between the generations, but the extra work you put in will be worth it! Contrary to popular perception, sexual performance does not decline with age, but there is a certain tradeoff. Younger men get harder faster but trade endurance and finesse for speed; older […]
The Risks & Rewards of Anal Sex
All gay men have lots of anal sex and are experts at it, right? Not necessarily – many guys are intimidated by penetrative sex due to safety concerns, nervousness about potential pain, or insecurity. The good news is that these worries can be cured with a little education. Anal sex does carry certain risks that you need to be aware of, but when done safely and correctly, it can provide great pleasure to both partners. Anal sex presents a greater risk for bottoms than for tops. This is not a myth – it is based purely on anatomy. The lining […]
Gay Sex in the Golden Years
Of all the factors that affect your sex life, the most predictable is the natural process of aging. As men get older, they often notice that their libido is no longer raging, that their erections are no longer as quick on the draw or as firm, and that they need more time to recover after sex. These changes happen at different times to different men, but they happen to every man who lives long enough! Does this mean that you have to give up on a fulfilling sex life after reaching a certain age? Of course not! If you are […]
Gay Love in the Time of Internet Porn
Gone are the days when guys had to carry X-rated magazines and videos out of stores in discreet brown paper bags – now gay porn is available 24/7 from a seemingly infinite variety of online sources. As the infamous Rule 34 of the internet states, if it exists, there is porn of it. But many men are discovering that there is a downside to this X-rated smorgasbord. With pornography so widely available, both gay and heterosexual men have become prone to so-called sexual addiction. From a medical standpoint, a true addiction to sex is impossible. The criterion for addiction is […]
Why Gay Men Should Come Out About Their Sexual Health
Over the past decade, the gay community has come out of the closet – and by extension, I have seen more openly gay and bisexual men in my urology practice in recent years. I’ve been pleased to see that these men’s willingness to be open about their sexuality also makes them more willing to talk about their health concerns. So what do gay men ask about when they visit their urologist? In my experience, the most common questions are the same for all men regardless of sexual orientation – erectile dysfunction, prostatic obstruction, and prostate cancer. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is […]