- 19
- Mar
A good percentage of men who come into my office take Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra because they struggle with erectile dysfunction. Generally, single men tend to be secretive about using medication.
Married men, however, generally can’t or don’t keep use of these medicines–PDE5 inhibitors–away from their wives’ knowledge. Some women are fine with their partner taking a pill. It makes their husbands happy, so they are happy, too. Usually these are older couples who have been married awhile. The wife doesn’t take her husband’s ED personally. She simply realizes that her husband has aged and isn’t as easily aroused as he once was.
Other women don’t like their husbands using the medication. Sometimes it is because they feel if their husband needs to take a pill to stay erect, then they must not be very exciting or sexy. Another complaint is that if their husband uses Viagra, then they need to plan to have sex. The one hour wait time gets to be a drag, and sex begins to feel like an obligation.
Whether a man chooses medication or not, it is a good idea to include his partner in any consultation with the physician regarding its use. Coming in to see a sex therapist can also be useful, as he or she can help a couple incorporate the medication into their sexual script. Also, the use of medication may bring up sexual issues in the partner that the couple has been able to deny, such as low sexual desire. Finally, many people are unaware that if there are sexual problems such as anxiety, the medication will not work.
