Conception

Erectile dysfunction and looking for a child: answers the andrologist

Dr. Kathryn BarlowLeave a Comment on Erectile dysfunction and looking for a child: answers the andrologist

Can erectile dysfunction lead to the inability to conceive a child? What remedies can be taken?

Hi, I’m a 24 year old girl and I’m with a 39 year old man. We are looking for a child, my gynecologist has already made us do all the pre-conception tests due to the fact that I have polycystic ovaries and suffer from hypothyroidism . The results are all good, but I have difficulty ovulating and therefore I am on the second cycle of clomiphene. However, we are also having problems in the sexual sphere and this is causing us some concern.

In the last year we haven’t had a great sex life because I had major leg surgery and was therefore “out of action”. We are therefore “out of practice”. I’ve been trying to find and recreate our intimacy for months now but he’s having problems, he freezes, he can’t get an erection or if he has one most of the time he can’t keep it.
I don’t know how to help him, other than being close to him and not letting him weigh it, but I feel bad inside and I’m worried, I don’t know if it’s something physical or psychological, perhaps due to the stress of work, because his dad is sick or however by now the anxiety of disappointing me and of not knowing how to give me the son we so much desire.
Now I want to know what I can do, how I can help him, because he doesn’t want to get help from a specialist.
I hope you can give me some advice.
Thank you.

The andrologist answers

Dear reader,

first of all I want to reassure her because the problem her partner suffers from is much more common than one might think.
Erectile dysfunction represents  , after premature ejaculation, the main sexual disorder in men and if not adequately treated can lead to a decrease in sexual desire, psycho-physical stress and fear in facing sexual intercourse in a serene way. 
The problems relating to the difficulty of getting pregnant and the leg surgery that took you “out of training” certainly represent a contributing cause of the problem but for a correct clinical and above all therapeutic classification it would be advisable to investigate the presence of any organic pathologies.
However, a psychological component in this type of disorder is *always* present, and leads your partner to face sexual intercourse in an anxious way , creating a vicious circle of distrust and inadequacy which inevitably leads to difficulty in achieving or maintaining an erection, as accurately described by you.
 
Medical therapy, whether the cause is exclusively psychological or organic, has made great strides in this field and there is nothing that cannot be resolved with the help of a good andrologist.
Dr Kathryn Barlow
Dr. Kathryn Barlow

Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.

Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.

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