Below the Belt Bellwethers

Health Topics: Sexual Health: Men's Sexual Health

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Erectile dysfunction

“Viagra works really well on men who don’t need it,” says Dr. Harry Fisch, director of the Male Reproductive Center at Columbia University and author of The Male Biological Clock. It sounds oxymoronic, but Fisch’s meaning is that erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs are most effective in raising the bar for men with psychological rather than physical obstacles to sexual function. Though men will fixate, understandably, on a problem between their legs, ED may be symptomatic of a more serious health crisis. “If you think you need Viagra, you may actually have a heart condition or diabetes,” Fisch says.

Doctors who hand out ED prescriptions without conducting a full physical are doing their patients a grave disservice. A campaign by Men’s Health Network (MHN) sought to raise awareness of the link between ED and high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Says MHN’s Scott Williams, “Cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of men, and erectile dysfunction can actually be a precursor. We’re suggesting to physicians that when a man comes in with symptoms of ED, they should really use that as an opportunity to find out what’s going on with his body.”

The group also found that nearly half of all men surveyed were more willing to visit a doctor about ED knowing their issue could be related to cardiovascular disease. Maybe it’s just easier to tell the doc you’re there about your heart.

Possible indications:

Hypertension
High cholesterol
Obesity
Diabetes
Depression

What to do:

Get a complete physical
Maintain a healthy diet
Exercise
Quit smoking
Drink less alcohol

Infertility

More than ever before, men are recognizing that their role in impregnation doesn’t end when they zip up. In fact, for couples having trouble conceiving, the problem resides exclusively with the male 40 percent of the time. While there are several ways to increase your sperm’s count and vitality, it’s important to be mindful of medical conditions that can lead to male infertility—especially those with broader health implications.

Possible indications:

Obesity
Sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) including chlamydia and gonorrhea
Kallmann syndrome (a disorder of the brain which causes the pituitary gland to malfunction)
Drug abuse
Cysts or blockage in reproductive ducts

What to do:

Consult a urologist and fertility specialist
Get tested for STDs
Diet and exercise

The pharmaceutical market has boomed with its capability to address issues around men’s sexual health. Several medicinal quick-fixes offer relief and get the blood flowing back into men’s sex lives, but sometimes the meds mask a serious condition. If your doctor is writing prescriptions, he should also be recommending a healthy lifestyle. It’s important to pay attention to your sex life—but you might want to put your life before the sex.

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Rich Maloof lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. He specializes in health, technology, music and children’s non-fiction. He is a regular contributor to MSN.com and has written for CNN, Yahoo!, Billboard and the “For Dummies” book series.