Ni satu artikal yang disiarkan di dalam NST mengenai masalah lelaki dengan zakarnya. Erectile Dysfunction atau lebih dikenali sebagai mati pucuk.
Some suffer in silence while others blame their partner. But if erectile dysfunction is left untreated, it could lead to bigger problems, including the break-up of a marriage, reports AUDREY VIJAINDREN
Within minutes, the mood in the room has changed. In one corner, the bride questions her beauty and in the other, a groom tries to resurrect his pride and save his ego.
This scene is not uncommon in many Malaysian bedrooms. Some occur on much anticipated wedding nights and others, in marriages that have been happy for more than 50 years.
ED doesn't discriminate against age, race, or culture. It's estimated to affect one million Malaysian men.
Also known as male impotence, ED is a sexual dysfunction characterised by the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis.
A recent survey showed that 40 per cent of Malaysian men in their 40s are suffering from ED.
Across the globe, this ailment is predicted to affect more than 100 million men. This means one in every two men between the ages of 40 and 70 will be afflicted by this ailment.
But reported cases are just a small fraction of the larger problem. Researchers and medical practitioners tell the New Sunday Times that most Malaysian men with ED choose to suffer in silence, for fear of damaging their egos.
Associate Professor Dr Quek Kia Fatt (below, left) of Monash University says a man suffering from ED often feels insecure about his masculinity and chooses to remain silent.
"He will avoid touching his partner because he starts to develop performance anxiety. The very thought that he could fail, affects his ego and pride.
"In that situation, he doesn't see ED as a disease like any other.
"Eventually he will distance himself from his spouse. He will become grumpy, depressed and anxious.
"This will cause tension between the couple and put a strain on the marriage."
One common issue among couples dealing with ED, Dr Quek says, is the emotional strain put on the woman.
"The man tends to withdraw emotionally and physically because of the fear of failure.
"The partner then starts to believe that her husband is losing interest in her or that she is no longer attractive to him.
"This makes the woman feel inadequate, contributing to rejection, loneliness and depression.
"The woman may also worry that her partner may be impotent with her, but not with other women, thus making her think about betrayal and infidelity."
He says failure to talk about ED with your spouse could threaten the marriage.
Besides the emotional effects, ED is also shown to affect women physically. According to Dr Quek, penetration is shown to contribute to 25 per cent of women reaching climax.
In recent years, researches have discovered that the magic blue pill is not only a solution to a man's sexual health, but also a determining factor of a woman's performance in bed.
A recent study published in the New England Journal of Sexual Medicine concluded that women's sexual function improvements co-related significantly and consistently to treatment improvements in men's erectile function.
"The most fascinating aspect of this study is that the women in the study were untreated and yet their physiology changed.
"Think about this for one minute. These are the first ever data that shows physiologic changes in lubrication, orgasm and arousal in an individual who was not treated," says its lead author and director of San Diego Sexual Medicine, Dr Irwin Goldstein (above, right).
The landmark research showed that the physiological changes in sexual function of one partner in the marriage (the untreated woman) were significantly linked to the physiological changes in sexual function of the partner (the treated man).
Dr Goldstein says because ED affects both parties, it should not go untreated.
"If you're married, you're supposed to enjoy each other. In the context of marriage, sex is not dirty.
"It used to be only about making babies and reproduction, but now it's about quality of life.
"People are living longer and enjoying more fulfilling lives, in all aspects. Why not also in their marriage?"
He says the myth that any form of sexual medicine is only about sex should be debunked.
"Sexual medicine and its benefits is about medicine, it's not just about sex.
"ED may be a harbinger of more serious vascular diseases.
"Having a healthy sex life also increases confidence and self-esteem for both the husband and the wife. It strengthens the relationship between the two."
Although a magic pink pill for women is not far from becoming a reality, he says, husbands should take the lead in providing a healthy sex life for their spouse.
While this may be true for most marriages, consultant urologist Dr Peter Ng Eng Pin says some wives prefer not to wake the "sleeping giant".
"Sadly, the attitude of some wives is not encouraging. Some are happy when their spouses have premature ejaculation because it means they have done their duty for the day.
"Some are even under the wrong perception that if their husband sought help for ED, he would be prone to having affairs.
"It's a big culture problem that discourage some husbands with ED to seek professional help. So, in the end, it's an uphill battle for the ED patient."
He says pride and ego are also factors that prevent couples from enjoying a healthy sex life.
"Many men come to see me and expect to be given a quick remedy. It's not as if a pill is going to solve all your problems.
"There needs to be counselling and therapy for complete healing.
"Couples have to talk things out, separately and together with a qualified person.
"ED is a serious problem that could make or break a marriage."
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