“Men are fix-it people,” says Stanton Honig, MD, director of the Male Sexual Medicine and Male Reproductive Health programs at Yale Medicine. It’s important to know there are effective treatments available for sexual and reproductive problems, such as prostate issues, erectile dysfunction, male infertility, a curved penis or testosterone deficiency. It could take some urging to get that appointment scheduled, but this may be exactly what needs to be done for health reasons. Since women make 80 percent of all health care decisions in heterosexual relationships, your influence really does matter. Statistics show American men are less likely than women to see a doctor for regular checkups. Talk with your partner about what you’re noticing, and encourage them to see a health care provider for an examination. A number of common sexual and reproductive health conditions can develop at any age. If his sex drive has declined-or you notice he’s using the bathroom more frequently, is gaining weight or has other changes to his physique such as breast enlargement-he may have undiagnosed health issues. That’s because, depending on how observant both of you are regarding how the body is functioning with intimacy issues, it may lead to a better understanding of medical issues that may be causing problems in the bedroom. The intimate moments you share in your life are important to your bond-and potentially your health.
