Erectile Dysfunction

One of the things about sex is the mythology. As we grow up, it starts off as this mysterious thing that adults do. Then as we begin to physically mature, it becomes more obvious what adults do and the anticipation begins to build. With friends, we speculate on what it will feel like, we bet on which one of us will be the first. Stories flash round school — that P is a stud, that Q is a slut. Gender stereotypes are formed early. Except that all too often, the first fumbling efforts are a disappointment. Those snatched moments of pleasure are uncomfortable and slightly embarrassing. Then you get into a relationship and the real question gets asked. What’s to like about sex, anyway? It’s something you do with the same person, over and over again. It gets boring after a month or so. But then we fall in love. Ah, this mysterious thing called love. According to the guys who write pop songs, there ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone and you always have her on your mind. Suddenly, there’s supposed to be a whole new meaning to the repeated act. Now it’s an affirmation of your continuing love and affection. Except that you’re not always in the mood at the same time and what was exciting at first grows less so. What should a couple do when there’s less sex? Should this be considered a medical problem? Everything is probably working as it should. It’s just there’s less interest. This thing called libido is replaced by a growing loneliness as the two that were one become two again. Of course, a man is supposed to be driven by the desire to have hot, passionate sex every night. The myths of frequency and enjoyment cling tightly to us. If there are problems, they can so easily be fixed by taking the little blue pill. Even if we failed to get an erection for the last two or three nights, viagra can fix everything. Except it can’t. Viagra only works to produce an erection when we are sexually stimulated. If, for some reason, we stop finding sex so interesting, no pill in the world is going to save us from our own lack of desire. Then perhaps we discover that we remain in love with our partners but not in love with sex. Alternatively, we find the relationship is at an end and go find a new interest in sex with a new partner.

In the days long ago, when you were just a twinkle in your Daddy’s eye, there was a group called the Village People. They were mildly successful, one of their biggest hits being Macho Man. The key lyrics in the verse are, “Every man ought to be a macho macho man. . . He’s a special person in anybody’s land. ” Looking back, it now see it was a terrible song (really boring and repetitive), but the spirit of those words has persisted until today. Machismo is a Spanish/Portuguese words, now adopted into English, and it refers to the way in which a man carries himself, and the general social system in which men see themselves as the superior gender. The spirit of machismo is alive and well in North America and nowhere more so than in Mexico where men still strut their stuff, even into old age. But, as men age, their strutting can sometimes leave something to be desired. In the richer countries north of the Rio Grande (or the Río Bravo del Norte), this is less of a problem because more older men can afford the cost of the little blue pill (bought on Main Street, it’s quite expensive, but bought online, it’s quite cheap). South of the river, only the rich have access to the internet and the credit cards with which to pay. The mass of poor men have no remedy. In a country where machismo prevails, this is a real social problem. Every man ought to be macho, no matter how old he is. The answer has taken a little time to come, but it’s arrived with typical male panache. The scale of the problem the city is facing? The governor of the federal district including Mexico City estimates that 70% of the elderly may be suffering from erectile dysfunction. The idea that these men should be abandoned when their needs are greatest is unthinkable. So, as from December 1, Mexico City is going to start giving out free viagra to the old and poor. In Mexico, you understand, everyone has the right to be happy. And if this means an exercise in big government, using tax payers’ money to help out the old, then it’s all in a good cause. With a new President-elect caught on microphone during the US election campaign admitting he is in favor of redistributing wealth, it will be interesting to see whether this Mexican policy will inspire the north. Let’s put it in simple terms. Vast numbers of people on both sides of the border do not carry medical insurance and do not have access to routine medical care. The Mexican view is that a society that fails to provide adequate medical treatment for the elderly is treating them with disrespect. Alongside the viagra will be a general health screening process. It will give these men some of their dignity back and hopefully catch many other health problems at the same time. In the US, the elderly poor are finding that federal funding is being cut for their care. No cheap viagra for them.