THE drooping stock market and economy are taking a toll on Singaporean men in the bedroom, even as women in Japan are turning their attentions to marriage amid the downturn.

A survey carried out among 42 doctors here shows that an increasing number of men are no longer complying with treatments for erectile dysfunction.

The key reasons? Worries about finances, stock markets and the economy are keeping them away from the bedroom.

A sales manager, 43, told my paper: “I feel more stressed and physically tired, so the urges are not there. When times are bad, sexual pleasure is secondary.

When the economy rebounds, the issue will go away.”

To address the issue, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) sponsored a year-long programme called Restore The Men.

Together with its partners, which include Parkway Health and Bayer Healthcare, men aged 40 and above will be eligible for free andropause screening for six months.

Dr Ho Siew Hong, consultant urologist at Gleneagles Medical Centre, told my paper that he has seen a “two- to three-fold” increase in younger men with erectile dysfunction.

“I see a fair number of younger patients, who are in their 40s. They hold high positions, work longer hours and are more stressed now,” he said, adding that these patients did not previously have libido problems.

Erectile dysfunction is both physiological and psychological.

Stress affects sexual urges and physiological responses, which can manifest in short erections or premature ejaculation, said Dr Ho.

This does not seem to be a problem in Japan. According to a Bloomberg report, Japanese women are turning to men as job insecurities mount.

Last year, Japanese marriages surged to a five-year high of 731,000, even as salaries slumped and the country’s jobless rate increased.

SURVEY RESULTS

PHARMACEUTICAL giant Bayer Schering Pharma conducted a survey of 42 general practitioners here to find out about the sexual health of men in the downturn.

The findings:

Proportion who see fewer men seeking treatment for erectile dysfunction: 50 per cent

Proportion who agree that financial concerns matter more to Singapore men than their sex life: 57 per cent

Decline in the number of patients seeking treatment for erectile dysfunction: Between 5 and 50 per cent

To help the men, Bayer Schering Pharma is sponsoring free andropause screenings for men aged 40 and above at over 120 clinics around the island, identified by a “Thumbs Up” decal. If they fail the test, they are eligible for a free testosterone blood test.

Clinic consultation fees apply.

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