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Question:
I have noticed that the consistency/makeup of my ejaculate has changed markedly from thick, creamy, sticky to thin/clear and very little of it.
The nature of my orgasm seems to have diminished (but I guess that could be my perception rather than reality but...)
My libido seems lowered, but again this might be linked with my concerns.
My local docter didn't seem to know/think anything untoward was happening but I am concerned that there has been such a marked change.
This has been the case for about 2 years so it is not a transient effect.
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Answer:
by Annette Owens: ()
I am happy that you have asked your doctor about this. Many people are too shy to address sexual issues with their physicians. Did he or she perform any blood tests (testosterone, thyroid hormone, cholesterol, blood sugar. etc.)? Men with long standing diabetes sometimes suffer from “retrograde ejaculation” where the ejaculate is expelled “backwards” into the bladder due to diminished muscle sphincter function at the bladder neck. But this does not seem to be the case for you and it is encouraging that your doctor has not found any reason for concern.
You are in your fifties and the changes, which you are describing could very well all be aging related. Let me start by addressing some of the normal physiological changes, which happen as a man ages: The time it takes to get an erection increases, and he will typically need more direct stimulation of his penis. A man in his 20s can either get erections from physical stimulation (touch) or from mental activity alone, such as visual stimulation or fantasies. In contrast, a man in his 60s will usually need physical as well as mental stimulation in order to get an erection. Older men need continuous physical stimulation of their penises to become and remain erect. This is completely normal.
With increasing age, the volume of the ejaculate decreases and so does the force with which the semen is expelled. The time from erection to ejaculation may be increased, and following ejaculation the penis becomes soft more rapidly. The weight of the testicles decreases and the intensity of orgasm and the upward angle of the erection also may decrease.
Another normal change is related to the time it may take to obtain a second erection. After having had an erection and having ejaculated, a 17-year old man can typically obtain a second erection within minutes. This so-called refractory period significantly lengthens with age, and is closer to two days at age 70. Again, this is completely normal. A good reference book that covers most of these details is The Sexual Male. Problems and Solutions by Milsten & Slowinski (see the link on the right hand side).
You did not mention any problems with erections. However, in this context of describing normal changes with aging I do want to stress that even though erectile dysfunction (ED) is very common and about 30 million American men are affected by it, it is not a normal consequence of aging. One large study indicates that about half of all men between the ages of 40 and 70 suffer from some degree of erectile dysfunction. Onset of erectile problems always warrants a thorough physical exam by a doctor, since a treatable organic cause such as diabetes or hormone imbalance may be the underlying factor.
In your additional information you mentioned that your partner sometimes likes you to ejaculate on her and it seems to bother you that you are not always able to do so. I would have a frank conversation with her, discussing the information I have given you. This may reduce both of your expectations and the pressure you may feel to ejaculate like “in the old days.” Men and women are able to continue to have a satisfying sex life into their seventies and eighties (and probably even older) but it is important to adjust your expectations to the normal changes with aging which I have described.
All the best to you,
Annette Owens, MD PhD
Reviewed by: Patricia Fawver Ph.D. in Sexology
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