Sex positions to change in sexual practices with age: Key issues couple face and how to overcome them

`Sex` has been a taboo subject for centuries, and while society has opened up far more today, there are several topics that people are largely still hestiant about talking. A senior urologist share the key sexual problems couples face, how to overcome them and the importance of sex education.

Sexual Health: Recently on September 4, the world observed the World Sexual Health Day. While almost all religions, cultures and nations have put a taboo when it comes to talking about sex, it's an important topic to talk and be knowledgeable about. Be it teenagers looking to enjoy their first sexual experience or married couples/partners trying to the romance alive, awareness is key.

Dr Anil Kumar Varshney, Senior Director, Urology, Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, says, "Sex has been  is an integral part of being physically, mentally, socially and spiritually healthy. Sex education takes a back seat in the Indian schools and young adults often lack adequate and healthy information about importance of being sexually active. We often get married couples in our OPD, where partner are not satisfied. This assumes importance in today’s corporate world, when both partners have excessive work pressures and don’t get adequate time to develop a relationship."

Major sexual concerns of partners in relationships

Dr Anil Kumar Varshney lists out the following concerns that people, be it men or women, have in sexual relationships:

-  Body image concerns: Size of genitals and breasts, size versus function, appearance of the person versus performance of the person.
- Frequency of the sex: refractory period, good time to participate in sex.
- Ejaculation: Duration of intercourse and its variability.
- Changes in sex practices as people age.
- Failure of erections in certain situations, comfort zone for sex.
- Concerns about semen volume, consistency and its value.
- Concerns about masturbation, night fall, effects of semen loss, Dhat syndrome.
- Concern about sexual act and sexual positions
- Timing of sex, conception and contraception; sex in ovulatory periods and its problems, sex and infertility.
- Sexually transmitted infections (STD) and Venerophobia
- Sexual problems in medical & psychiatric diseases and medications which may reduce desire (libido) versus medication to improve sex performance
- Sex abuse

Sexual issues: How to address concerns

Accepting the issues and understanding that there's no shame related to any of these factors are important in dealing with such problems. "All these factors are adhered individually and counselling is done initially separately for male and female partners, and later with both the partners together, to be able to address then problem and find out best possible customized solutions," says Dr Anil Kumar Varshney.