Genital atrophy is real. Here are some ways to keep your sex organs from drying up.
Use it or lose is more than a phrase. It’s a call to action about your sex life. And the truth is that every study done for the last 30 years shows that sex is good for you.
It turns out that if you stop having sex or engaging in regular masturbation for long periods of time (usually past age 40) you can really struggle to kick start it again. I often see clients in my office for whom sex was a distant memory. When they finally do meet a new partner and want to get their groove on between the sheets there are real issues. For women you can go from being nicely tight to having a thinning of the tissue and an inability to be penetrated. Vaginal atrophy includes prolapse, pain and bleeding from thinning tissues. Especially after menopause. The incredible shrinking vagina was the topic of a New York Times article that had a HUGE response. For men a lack of sex means that erections can be hit and miss or non-existent.
Here are some of the things that happen if you stop having sex:
Problems with bladder control. Yup without sex working on the pelvic floor you start peeing when you sneeze.
Sex lowers your blood pressure
You can have issues with vaginal lubrication without regular sex. After a long dry spell, the anxiety can cause your body to have issues with producing natural lube.
Sex lowers the risk for heart attack. Sex can have up to a 50% improvement in recovery and prevention of heart attacks.
Memory problems. Sex helps your brain produce new brain cells in the its memory center. If you’re feeling forgetful, just go have some sex!
There was an interesting article from the Boston medical group about the disuse of your genitals and erectile dysfunction.
“There are also indications that the ‘memory’ portions of the brain need at least occasional stimulus to act at optimum levels. The hypothalamus is thought to be the area of the brain that regulates thirst, hunger, sex and other functions. As we age the neuroplasticity (or malleability) of the brain, that helps us compensate for certain disorders in the body, begins to decrease. The central nervous system and peripheral nervous system control the functions of the body and like a car or even computer require some degree of maintenance.
Aging can also cause men to experience a loss of sexual function. 50% of men begin to experience ED by the age of 40 and this can increase by up to 10% each decade. Research studies (and just plain common sense) dictates that the more your utilize a function the longer you can maintain and regulate its performance. Frequent and vigorous sexual activity is the best cure for disuse atrophy; to perform, some men need a ‘kick-start’ and there are a variety of effective treatments available to prevent this progressing condition. To get the best response from treatment, and avoid degradation or disuse atrophy, it’s best to stop the procrastination and act soon.”
Masturbation, toys and moderately using erotica and porn (unless you have a history of sex addiction) are considered healthy activities for your body and sex life. If you think you might be ready to find a partner or engage sexually with someone new I can help. I’ve got a great program for finding a partner in four skype sessions (a total investment of $500). Let me help get your genitals back in use.
