Cystitis, erectile dysfunction leading 'killers' of sex life

There are now two new the most probable causes of disturbance in sex life for women. Interstitial cystitis and erectile dysfunction are the two leading "killers" of a healthy, happy sex life in Taiwan, medical groups said Thursday. 

Some 52-67 of every 100,000 women in Taiwan have suffered interstitial cystitis (IC), or painful bladder syndrome (PBS), according to the Women's Healthcare and Urology Foundation of Taiwan. 

IC is characterized by an urgent or frequent need to urinate and is often accompanied by pelvic pain, CNA reported. 

No one knows what causes IC/PBS, but some sufferers experience pain or other difficulties during intercourse, the foundation said. 

These symptoms often cause women to shun sex with their husbands, which in turn affects their marriage, it added. 

IC/PBS is normally not caused by germs or infection, the foundation said, citing doctors. Rather, most researchers believe it represents a spectrum of disorders in the immune, endocrine or nervous systems, it said. 

The foundation said IC/PBS is treatable. About 70 percent of sufferers usually feel better after receiving infusions of hyaluronic acid, which helps to relieve pain and the exhaustion that results from going to the bathroom all night, it said. 

Hyaluronic acid infusion treatment, which is covered under the National Health Insurance program, helps in general to improve the quality of life, but it has not yet been determined to what extent it helps improve sex lives, the foundation said. 

Meanwhile, according to the Taiwan Medical Association of Andrology (TMAA), erection quality is a indicator of cardiovascular health in males and also reflects the degree of male ego and confidence. 

However, men suffering from erectile dysfunction generally care more about orgasm, the process of intercourse and their own feelings, the association said. 

About 30 percent of men in this category either do not talk or are uncomfortable talking with their sex partners about the problem, according to TMAA Chairman Chien Pang-ping. 

Chien, a urological surgeon at Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, suggested that couples talk more and pay closer attention to each others` feelings. 

At the same time, men with erectile dysfunction should seek medical attention, he advised.  (A045)

Source: ANTARA