LifeLine

NightmaresQ I am a 21-year-old boy suffering from nightfalls. I even feel that my penis has become short and thin. Will this affect my marri...

Nightmares

Q I am a 21-year-old boy suffering from nightfalls. I even feel that my penis has become short and thin. Will this affect my married life? Please advice.

— Manoj, Kalbadevi
What you call `nightfall’ is also known as wet dreams and nocturnal emission. These nocturnal emissions are normal and spontaneous and actually indicate that the sexual and reproductive system is functioning properly.

Story continues below this ad

The male reproductive system is constantly manufacturing semen, which remain stored if not ejaculated. When this nears the storage capacity, even slight stimulus may cause the semen to spurt out. And this usually occurs at night, generally under the influence of erotic dreams.

Surveys have shown that nearly 80 per cent of young males have wet dreams. It is a physiological phenomenon and cannot have a negative effect on your married life or the size of your organ. This can also be our body’s way of relieving sexual tension and should be seen in a positive light rather than seeing it as an infirmity.

Slowing down

Q I am 65 years old and my wife is 60. I am having a problem with maintaining an erection. How do I overcome this?

— K Nayak, Santa Cruz
The sexual response cycle in the male, particularly the erectile capacity of the penis, varies over the years. From the embarrassing episodes of spontaneous pubertal erections to the problem of not achieving an erection when desired, is a problem which every man faces. With age and health problems, the male arousal undergoes many changes. These include occasional or repeated episodes of erectile failure, needing more time and more direct stimulation for getting an erection. Added to this is the anxiety and fear of ageing and lack of sexual pleasure, which in turn enhances erectile failure.

Story continues below this ad

View this new stage in your life as a chance to be more relaxed and less pressured. Try out new stimulation techniques and different sexual positions. Sex is more than just intercourse. Sharing physical closeness can be very fulfilling if viewed in a proper light. Hugging, caressing and mutual touching are joyous and releasing and can reduce the pressure. For more information consult `Love And Sex After 60′ by Butler R and Lewis M I, (publishers Harper and Row, New York).