SEXUAL ASPECT OF MARRIAGE: THE SPOILERS
There are many factors which will spoil the delights of sexual
intercourse. I shall outline them briefly, and will not comment too much
upon them. Most of them will need nothing more than a mention. The chief
are:
a.
Your state of health and that of your partner.
b.
The use of certain drugs, even the "popular" drugs which are known as
sedatives and tranquillizers. These suppress normal sexual responses.
Certain drugs used for the treatment of high blood pressure often reduce the
libido, and in males can reduce potency and the ability to gain satisfactory
penile erection.
c.
Alcohol and
alcohol-based beverages may inhibit sexual performance and/or satisfaction.
(In the early stages of alcohol consumption, desire is often increased, but
rarely, if ever, will it increase performance.)
d.
Certain diseases affect sexual desire and performance. Diabetes is
perhaps the best known and the most common one, and it may affect quite
young people. If you are in this group, a frank discussion with your doctor
could help greatly. However, it is often the case with the diabetic,
unfortunately, that treatment is not always satisfactory.
e.
Overwork, increasing worries with work situations, long hours with
inadequate sleep and rest, domestic tension, are also barriers to achieving
full sexual response and satisfaction.
f.
Impotence. This may be due to psychological factors as well as to
physical. If this is your problem, you should see your doctor; he may be
able to help. Often what seems to be a physical cause is psychological -
e.g., a
sense of guilt -
which will
somehow interfere with the body's internal programming and the result is the
inability to achieve success in this important area of marital
relationships.
If there are any difficulties in a marriage because of what appears to
be, for want of a better name, sexual incompatibility, I would urge a visit
to a marriage counselor, your family doctor or to a psychologist trained in
this field. Go to your doctor first, and it is likely that he will refer you
to a psychologist or a counselor.
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GENERAL HEALTH