What do circumcision, men’s virility, and staying safe in today’s sexual environment have in common?
They are all subjects of questions that every man–gay or straight–and his partner ask everyday.
Dudley Seth Danoff, MD, FACS, men’s urologist and expert for more than 30 years, advocates asking a lot of questions and having the right information. Dr. Danoff is known for his candid and good-natured style that makes it easier for men (and the partners in their lives) to talk about and handle a myriad of medical situations.
Here is some of Dr. Danoff’s answers to questions men have about sex:
1. Top 5 questions every gay man should be asking his doctor but isn’t.
Gay, straight, bi, or trans, men of all sexual preferences sometimes feel embarrassed talking to their doctors about sex. Urologist Dudley Danoff, MD, FACS, shares five key issues gay men should be talking about with their doctors.
Questions: How will a prescription for an erectile dysfunction medication interact with others drugs I’m taking?; As a gay man, do I need to worry about HPV?; If my partner has passed an AIDS test, is it all right for us to have unprotected sex?; Is everything normal down there?; Should I have a PSA?)
2. Truth about men and sex as they age.
It is a strange but true fact of life that, from the peak period of sexuality until your genitals are laid to rest with your other organs at life’s end, they undergo no visual change. While your other organs degenerate—skin wrinkles, waistline expands, hair grays—your sexual organ undergoes virtually no change in size or appearance as you age. What does change is how this body part behaves—erections are more difficult to achieve, ejaculation is less explosive, and more recovery time is needed between sexual encounters. These changes do not mean a man must stop enjoying sex; rather, understanding these changes can help a man maintain sexual longevity for a lifetime.
3. How men can stay safe in today’s sexual environment.
Men have good reason to be concerned about sexually transmitted diseases, whether a viral infection such as herpes; a bacterial infection like syphilis; or HIV/AIDS, as these diseases have been on the increase in recent years. The time to worry about sexually transmitted diseases is not at the moment of intercourse. You need a game plan long before you get into bed with someone. To stay safe in today’s sexual environment, men must communicate with their partners about their sexual histories, know the basics about the most commonly transmitted diseases, and always take precautions to protect themselves.
4. To circumcise or not to circumcise: what’s a parent to do?
Whether or not to circumcise is a question fraught with emotional, religious, psychological, medical, and moral implications. All sides have argued both for and against circumcision with a high degree of emotion, leaving some parents at a loss about how to make the right choice for their child. To help parents make a rational decision regarding neonatal circumcision, Dr. Dudley Danoff, MD, FACS, sets aside these implications and lays out the medical evidence for circumcision’s effects on health and safety, disease prevention and penile sensitivity.
