Sexual queries: 'I am far less energetic'

We invited Get Ahead readers to mail in their questions. Here is the next set of responses:

Dear Dr,

I have a condition of low blood pressure, often found to be less than 100/60. While it is a good thing to have low blood pressure and I enjoy good health in every respect, I suffer from erectile dysfunction. I understand that for getting an erection you need a high enough blood pressure, ie higher the blood pressure, harder the erection. Can my impotence be a direct consequence of the low blood pressure that I have? If so by treating the low blood pressure, can I enhance my erection? What are the best possible treatment options that I have?

Kind regards
Kindly withhold my name in case of publication.

To obtain and sustain a good erection, you need high pressures inside the penis, not elsewhere in the body. Many cardiologists will tell you that you are lucky to have systemic blood pressures on the lower side. Any deleterious effects on erection that you perceive to be a consequence of this low blood pressure are purely imaginary and have no valid scientific basis. If you are suffering from erectile dysfunction, the cause is something else, and must be investigated and treated.

Dear Sir,

I have only a single testicle below my penis. I will be getting married soon, so I am worried whether this could be problematic in future. I have read on the Internet, that this happens to 1 percent of people and this might be because that one testicle has not moved from the stomach to the penis at birth. I noticed this when I was 17 years old. Now I am 25 years old. As such, I don't have any problem yet. Frankly, I get an erection when reading sexual books or seeing related material. I don't have much of a problem with masturbation. What difference I notice is that if I try to have multiple (3-4) masturbation sessions a day, then it's a problem. I think due to a single testicle the sperm count could be less...Can you advice what action should I take for the same? Should I personally visit an andrologist?

Regards
VJ

You seem to have an undescended testis on one side. Many men live with this condition without seeking medical attention because of ignorance and/or apathy. They are even able to have normal sex and father children. But ignoring an undescended testis is not recommended. The undescended testis must be looked for and brought down into the scrotum surgically if possible; it often is. Sometimes, the undescended testis is arrested too high, or is too small to be brought down, and must be sacrificed. Undescended testes can sometimes develop cancer, and can also cause infertility. You must see an andrologist.

Hi Doctor!

I am 31 years of age and am inclined only towards the same sex. My family is pressurising me for marriage and I am the only son. I cannot tell my family, as the entire concept of being gay would shock them. I'm in a complete dilemma and dont know what can be done. Is there any treatment that can make me 'straight'? Please respond to this query as I'm in desperate need of help.

Thanks and Regards,
Anonymous

There is no 'treatment' for homosexuality. Homosexuality is not a disease. It is an alternative sexual orientation. There are millions like you all over the world. You must have the strength of character to admit it and live with it. The world understands and accepts this much better today than ever before. Please don't get into a heterosexual marriage (like many others do) for your parents' or society's sake. That would be the ultimate act of cowardice and deceit.

Hi Dr. Sudhakar

Well first of all let me thanks you in advance for the efforts you will be putting to reply to my query. I recently got married. For the first few days, everything was fine. We used to have sex 2-3 times a day and I used to have a hard-on most of the time. I was full of energy. But all of a sudden things changed...I started to have less of a hard-on and sometimes none at all...Now to gain an erection I have to stroke myself. Is there any solution to this issue? My partner is very supportive...please don't reveal my name. Also, if you need more information from my side please let me know.

Thanks

Like many Indians, you (and possibly your wife too) must've been a virgin at the time of your marriage, and getting your first desperately awaited sexual opportunity in more than ten years after puberty. Under the circumstances, your initial monomaniacal sexual obsession is understandable, and normal. But you see, sex is only man's second strongest instinct. Fortunately or unfortunately, survival is the first -- so everybody wakes up from this sexathon sooner or later. You don't need any solution. This IS the solution. However, if you don't soon equilibrate at a mutually comfortable sexual frequency, you'll need to have yourself checked out.

Do you have a question for Dr Krishnamurti? Simply e-mail him at sexualqueries@rediffmail.com; responses will be published each week and names will be withheld upon request.

Dr Sudhakar Krishnamurti is an international award-winning andrologist and microsurgeon. He is the only Indian on the world's first-ever batch of sexual medicine fellows (Oxford, 2007). Best known for the Krishnamurti Operation for Peyronie's Disease, he is also the founder of Andromeda, India's first andrology center, and author of the book Sexx is Not a Four-Letter Word. Click here to purchase the book from rediff Shopping.

Disclaimer: Please note that Dr Krishnamurti will be answering the most relevant queries at his discretion each week. His advice may not necessarily reflect the opinions of rediff.com and while it is in the capacity of professional medical counselling, it in no way should be considered an alternative to visiting a medical specialist for sex-related ailments.