The Mid-Life Man & Sexual Changes

Sex is a healthy physical and emotional act of all species. For humans, the act of sexual intercourse provides for a connection between partners. For middle aged men, sexual encounters often become slightly more challenging as physical and psychological processes change with mid-life. Understanding the dynamics of the physiological changes within a man, and how middle age impacts the enjoyment of sex, will work to encourage a more pleasant transition through this later stage of life.

Remember the time when the simple thought of sexual encounters led to excitement, erection and sexual pleasure? With mid-life changes, many men, while still aroused by the thought of sex and the associated visual stimulation, may now require slightly more physical interaction to achieve the same level of arousal as once experienced in early adulthood. With this physiological change in men during mid-life, associated psychological issues usually begin to appear, ranging from depression to anxiety over the lack or inability to "perform" as they once did.

For men approaching mid-life, it is crucial to understand the physiological changes, in terms of sexual encounters, are normal. In accepting and preparing for this change in life, men can begin to explore the options and new sexual desires and experiences associated with middle age.

One such change, as stated, involves the male's requirement for a more direct physical stimulation in order to achieve sexual arousal. Where the thought of sexual interaction once created an erection, the onset of middle age may now require the involvement of the partner to utilize a variety of foreplay methods to stimulate the erection. Men should not view this as a handicap in terms of sexuality but, instead, enjoy the new dynamic involved with foreplay and the interaction of the sex partner to create the erection.

In addition to direct stimulation, men approaching middle age may also begin to notice erections are not as firm as they may have been in early adulthood. As a common complaint among men who visit physicians, in search of sex enhancing drugs, it is important to understand why this occurs with middle age.

During erection, there is a complex physiological process which occurs between the cardiovascular system, the reflexes and the neurological system. Simply put, in early adulthood, the visual stimulation of sex created a message within the brain (neurological) which stimulated natural reflexes and promoted action by the cardiovascular system. This complex process did not require much thought or action by the man and was rather spontaneous.

With aging, the reflexes begin to diminish. While the brain may be engaged and stimulated, the reflexes may not respond as quickly to the enticements associated with sexual encounters. As a result, the cardiovascular system is slower to respond, leaving many men to experience a lesser degree of firmness during erection. While this change in firmness may be apparent to a man, the change in firmness is usually not as evident by a woman. As a result, many men who seek sex enhancing drugs may actually not require the prescription medications as often as they are being prescribed.

The key to aging gracefully, as man, in terms of sexual performance, involves the understanding and preparation for the changes which are considered natural. Adapting to these changes, with the use of more advanced foreplay, may be the key to maintaining a healthy sex life during middle age without the need for sexual enhancement performing drugs.