Male Sexual Dysfunction (ED)

[Heather34]

Hi ladies. You’ve had the procedure with Dr. Pacik and are now cured from vaginismus. Excellent! You notice, however, that your husband is now having difficulty with maintaining an erection. This is not an uncommon hypo. For several men, they are very used to their partners constantly telling them sex hurts and having no sex at all. It may be difficult for them to now perform on demand and also for them to insert on cue.

I read an interesting article on the topic from vaginismus.com

“Erectile Difficulty/Dysfunction (ED)
It is not unusual for some couples who have struggled to overcome vaginismus to also face erectile difficulties (ED). Going from an environment of ‘no sex – it hurts’ to performance on demand (maintaining an erection and slowly inserting on cue) can be a difficult transition to make. If erectile issues are persistent and do not appear to be resolving on their own, medical attention should be considered.
When erectile difficulties are perceived to be due to the emotional stress of the vaginismus condition, a medical exam is still recommended to potentially eliminate any physical issues that may be contributing. If possible, it may be helpful for men to obtain a referral to a urologist specializing in ED. Counseling with a specialist who is familiar with both vaginismus and ED may also be beneficial.
Careful attention to balancing the needs of each partner will help couples to positively transition through this time. Couples should balance the needs of the male to have a reduction in performance pressure with the needs of the female to practice intercourse to fully overcome vaginismus. Some couples find that temporary use of medication to treat ED and allowing a period of time (e.g. two weeks) to engage in intimacy free of pressure to have intercourse is helpful in addressing erectile difficulties. Exercising more and reducing overall stress and anxiety may also be helpful.”

Have any of you experienced difficulties with husband/partner ED following vaginismus? If so, how did you address it and what were your experiences?

[Heather34]

Hi all. I’m wondering if we can re-visit this thread concerning ED post-procedure. Men, if you experienced this or ladies, if your partner experienced this following your procedure, how was it resolved? For example, did they receive a prescription medication or did it resolve on it’s own? Your feedback is very important and will be educational for others who may also experience this very same problem post-procedure.

[Dr. Pacik]

This is a very important topic and something that is covered at the time of our post procedure discussion. ED appears to affect about 20% of the men who share the struggles of vaginismus and can affect younger as well as older men. The combination of performance anxiety and not wanting to hurt their loved ones appear to be factors. This is usually short lived and men are able to return to normal functioning quickly. When it persists it can be of value to do a cardiac exam. There are recent findings that ED has a high association with premature heart disease.

Another factor in temporary ED is the clinical setting of dilation. Men function through their erotic emotions and this does not necessarily include dilators! It is for this reason that time is spent during the post procedure counseling of how to remove the clinical and bring in the sexy. We speak about what goes into going out for a date and what sexy might mean to the couples. Incorporating “toys” into their play activity is another way of bringing in the sexy.

No man likes to lose his erection, this is a powerful turnoff with loss of confidence. A man cannot will an erection. For the women (and men) reading this what have been your experiences?

[Heather34]

Hi all. There is an excellent blog posted by Dr. Pacik that discusses this very topic:

http://www.vaginismusmd.com/transitioning-to-intercourse-and-understanding-erectile-dysfunction/

Some excerpts from the blog include:

“In my practice, about 20-25% of the male partners have erectile dysfunction and need to take Viagra or Cialis in the early stages of intercourse.”

AND

“In order for a man to feel virile and to be able to maintain a strong erection, he may need to take the lead and be in control… The male may be the one that needs to set a romantic stage. When the time is right, most men understand that they need to penetrate slowly to help stretch the vaginal muscles. The man needs to be in a comfortable position and it is for this reason that men will often turn their partner into a position that is comfortable for them. Sometimes men will turn their partner frequently into different positions, which may help him with greater arousal and ability to function. When the man strains, because a position is not comfortable for him, it is a setup for loss of the strong erection and he may become soft. Once a male becomes soft it is often hard to get back into the erectile state.”

I would encourage you to read the blog and welcome your comments and feedback.