AGE RELATED BIOLOGIC PROBLEMS

Authors:

• Barbara Bartlik, M.D. and
• Marion Zucker Goldstein, M.D.

This section examines age-related biologic changes in male sexual response.

Desire phase

In both men and women, sexual desire is linked to levels of testosterone. In men, testosterone levels begin to decline in the fifth decade and continue to do so steadily throughout later life.

Excitement phase

As men age, penile sensitivity is reduced. In addition, achieving an erection takes longer and requires more intense, more continuous, and more lengthy physical stimulation. Moreover, erections are not as firm as earlier in life .

Orgasm phase

As men age, contractions of orgasm are less intense and less numerous. Thus orgasms are more brief, and the ejaculate is expelled with less force. The volume of semen in the ejaculate is also diminished. Furthermore, older men may not experience ejaculation every time they have intercourse.

Resolution phase

Following orgasm, detumescence occurs more rapidly in older men. The refractory period, or the amount of time that must pass before a man is capable of another ejaculation, significantly increases with age, from several minutes or hours to as long as 48 hours.

THANKS TO PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES ONLINE

Practical Geriatrics:

Men’s Sexual Health After Midlife
Barbara Bartlik, M.D. and Marion Zucker Goldstein, M.D.

Psychiatr Serv 52:291-306, March 2001
© 2001 American Psychiatric Association