“My boyfriend can’t get hard without touch—is that normal?”
As people get older, it may be harder for them to get and maintain erections. Erections may take longer to develop or need direct touch in order to achieve them.
A number of risk factors can contribute to erectile dysfunction (ED), including:
- Medical conditions
- Tobacco use
- Obesity
- Certain medical treatments
- Injuries
- Medications
- Psychological problems
- Substance abuse
Any one or combination of the above could contribute to your boyfriend’s situation.
Symptoms of ED
There are additional signs you can look out for if you think your partner is having erection problems:
- Trouble getting an erection
- Trouble maintaining an erection
- Having an erection not firm enough for sexual intercourse
- Low interest in sex
Bottom line
Just because your partner needs constant stimulation to maintain an erection, doesn’t automatically mean that there’s an underlying physical or medical issue.
ED can be caused by psychological problems and concerns. For example, some emotional causes can include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Genophobia (fear of sex and/or intimacy)
- Low self-esteem
- Lack of sleep
The important thing is that you:
Stay positive
It’s important to talk about what your partner’s needs may be and how you both can work towards them.
Talk about how you feel
ED affects the both of you. Of course it’s important to focus on your partner’s experience with the condition. But connecting your emotions can help you both move forward.
Reassure them
ED in younger people can cause or be caused by feelings of anxiety, embarrassment or shame. Let your partner know you care about them and are ready to help them see this condition through.
If you and your boyfriend want a space to be able work through these feelings together, then give me a call.
I help couples through ED, building and re-building that sexual spark and everything in between.
Let’s get things spicy again 😉
Gabriela.