MEDICAL MATTERS:Research shows that regular intercourse does not decline spectacularly over the age of 60
AN ELDERLY gentleman goes into his doctor to complain about a problem with his sex drive. "I don't seem to have as much pep as I used to," he says. "I see," says the doctor. "And how old are you and your wife?" "I'm 82 and my wife is 78," the gentleman replied. "And when did you first notice the problem?" asks the doctor. The man replies: "Twice last night and once again this morning."
This is the sort of problem most older men would love to have. Society's stereotypical image is one of declining sexual function in couples over the age of 60, to be replaced with an intimacy that does not revolve around sexual gymnastics. However, Mná na hÉireann should ready themselves for a potential onslaught. Research published last week has given all men over the age of 55 the scientific evidence to back up a demand to have sex at least three times a week.
Or maybe not. The headline on the press release proclaims: 'Erectile dysfunction lower in men who have intercourse more often'. But surely this is a classic case of "chicken and egg": if you cannot have an erection, how are you supposed to have sex?
This was certainly the reaction on a number of websites to the research which appears in the July issue of The American Journal of Medicine. So how exactly did the Finnish researchers reach the conclusion that "continued sexual activity decreases the incidence of erectile dysfunction in direct proportion to coital frequency"?
In 1999, doctors from the department of urology at Tampere University recruited some 989 men aged 55 to 75 years from the Tampere area of Finland. Each was asked to fill out a postal questionnaire covering issues such as erectile capacity and frequency of intercourse. Lifestyle factors and medical history were also included, so that chronic medical conditions known to affect the incidence of erectile dysfunction such as diabetes, heart disease and depression, could be excluded from the final analysis.
A similar questionnaire was then sent out in 2004 to the same group of men, and a comparative analysis carried out.
It showed that men who reported having intercourse less than once per week in 1999 had twice the incidence of erectile dysfunction in 2004 compared with those who said they were sexually active once a week. There were 32 cases of erectile dysfunction per 1,000 in the once-a-week group; this fell to 16 per 1,000 in those reporting intercourse three or more times per week.
"Moreover, we found a dose response with coital frequency," the authors write. "The result indicates that regular sexual activity preserves potency in a similar fashion as physical exercise maintains functional capacity."
And anticipating the doubting Thomases who would conclude that erectile dysfunction was itself the cause of reduced sexual activity, they state: "we assessed the frequency of intercourse before the occurrence of erectile dysfunction and adjusted for other major risk factors. Therefore, our results provide strong support for a causal role of coital frequency".
However, critics might point to the self reporting nature of the research and the lack of an objective measurement of erectile function. And is it possible that factors such as reduced testosterone levels could affect both libido and the development of erectile dysfunction?
But apart from these caveats, the research is sound. The authors surmise that sexual activity itself helps preserve vascular function and the ability of the penis to fill with blood and assume the erect state.
Hence their advice that "continued sexual activity decreases the incidence of erectile dysfunction in direct proportion to coital frequency". Which, translated into webspeak, has led to calls of "use it or lose it, boys" and "rise and shine gentlemen".
Then there was the Canadian who logged on to say he had just told his wife of the researchers' three times a week recommendation. To which she replied: "and what are we supposed to do for the other four days?".
There's just no pleasing some people.
• Dr Houston is pleased to hear from readers at mhouston@irish-times.ie but regrets he is unable to reply to individual medical queries