Sexual health is an issue with a lot of angles. For young people, the concerns are unwanted pregnancies, STDs and frankly—especially for the young fellas—just getting someone to have sex with them.

As we get a little older—late-20s, 30s and into the 40s—the main problems become NOT being able to get pregnant.

Then, 40s, 50s and up, the problems are basically wanting to have sex but not being able to.

We’ll leave the STDs and unwanted pregnancy stuff to parents and educators, with the obvious mention to use condoms, and focus on fertilization and sex in the advanced years for this article.

Beating infertility

Chiropractic can have a miraculous impact on infertility. The associate doctor, Dr. Forest, at my clinic, personally attributes chiropractic to he and his wife finally conceiving their first child.

There are thousands of similar stories online. Just google “Infertility chiropractic” and you’ll see. But there have been legitimate studies on the subject. In May of 2003, the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research published a compilation of 15 case studies.

All 15 women were infertile. Reasons for their infertility ranged from diabetic amenorrhea (lack of menstrual cycle) to chronic colitis to scoliosis to, in one case, they had no idea—the woman was just infertile. After 20 months of regular chiropractic care, every single one of those women had become pregnant and delivered a healthy baby.

Infertility is becoming a serious issue. And really, this is a serious issue—not just for couples—but for the human race as a whole.

In the early 1980s, infertility affected just over 5% of American couples. In the early 1990s, that number was up to 8.5%. In 2017, it is estimated that infertility affects almost 16% of American couples.

Why is this? In 1994, 20% of infertility was “unexplained.” In most cases, we can point to a clear cause. That might be a blocked fallopian tube or a low sperm count for example. These are legitimate explanations as to why a person is infertile. Now, though, 40% of infertility is simply unexplained—at least as far as the medical community goes. That’s almost half.

Well, we’re simply getting sicker and sicker. Obesity rates are soaring, diabetes is the third most common chronic condition killing Americans today. We’re nutritionally deficient, toxic and stressed out.

The reproductive system is one of the first to go in an unhealthy body. As it is not needed for day-to-day survival, the body doesn’t prioritize it in terms of nutrients, immune resources and energy.

Hormones are an incredibly important factor in fertility. Progesterone is necessary for conception as it supports the developing embryo.

Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) stimulate ovulation. In men, both testosterone AND estrogen are required for arousal. Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) signal sperm creation and growth.

Hormones must maintain a delicate balance. Progesterone calms down the effects of estrogen. Testosterone needs to be higher in men than women and vice versa. Cortisol (the stress hormone) overwhelms nearly every other hormone, suppressing both the production and effects of these other hormones.

But we live in a world where are meat, dairy and eggs have hormones in them. And it disrupts the natural balance of our own hormones. Furthermore, the world is full of hormone disruptors – BPA in plastics, polychlorinated biphenyls in pesticides, DEHP in food packaging. And with the proliferation of soy food products, we’re all becoming estrogen dominant because of phytoestrogens found in so many processed foods.

And the medications. Just listen to any of those medication commercials—fertility and sexual side effects are a part of nearly all of their laundry list of possible problems with taking the medications. Particularly harmful to sexual health are anti-depressants, blood thinners and pain killers.

Eat organic fruits and vegetables to avoid hormone disrupting pesticides and minimize exposure to processed foods. Eat only grass fed, free range and wild caught proteins to avoid added hormones.

Keep your weight down. Get regular, moderate exercise. But don’t go crossfit or bootcamp because it stresses your body out and releases cortisol. Just moderate, outdoor exercise. Light jogging, long walks, burst training, etc.

GET REGULAR CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS.

Sex in your advanced years

The most common problems are erectile dysfunction in men, and vaginal discomfort for women. For men, the general rule is that at least some form of ED affects the same percentage of men as their decade of age, i.e., 40% for men in their 40s, 50% of men in their 50s, etc.

Again, poor health is the culprit.

Arthritis makes sex uncomfortable for both sexes, as does chronic pain of any kind. Diabetes is a real big libido killer. Impotence is a common symptom of diabetes for men.

Arteriosclerosis – the narrowing and hardening of arteries—is possibly the most common cause of impotence. The way men become aroused is by a rush of blood flow to the penis. If the arteries themselves are diminished in function, this is obviously going to be affected.

For women, it’s often a matter of desire. Their libido is much more connected to their emotional state than it is for men.

In many cases, as relationships go on, couples forget to treat each other as special—which is something women need to become sexually interested. Furthermore, there is a lot of insecurity for women. When they don’t “feel” sexy, they won’t want to have sex. And with so many people being overweight, a lot more women aren’t “feeling” sexy. And this is such a common thing, it’s cliché. The women says she’s fat, the man says he thinks she’s beautiful, she gets mad at him for disagreeing with her, nobody has sex.

It’s an emotional rubix cube that has had men confused since the beginning of time. But there are solutions.

The first one is: be healthy. Easier said than done, right? But think of it this way. You eat healthy, moderately exercise, keep the weight off. What do you get out of all of this? You get activities and passions you can share with your partner (exercise, healthy cooking) that help create an emotional bond. You feel good because you’re not sedentary, eating processed food that disrupts your hormones and leaves you feeling sluggish, bloated and lazy. Rather, you’re energized, slim and agile. You look better, which makes you feel sexier, which makes you want to have more sex WHILE being more attractive to your partner.

For men, a healthy diet and exercise gives them stronger erections more often. For women, it makes them FEEL attractive. Win-win.

Another thing you can do is make sure you are not deficient. Take a good multi-vitamin supplement catered to your sex. It supports the gamut of physical functions required for a healthy libido and sex life.

Minimize alcohol consumption. Not only does it inhibit sexual function during use, it weakens the liver and detoxification pathways over time, which inhibit sexual function by allowing the buildup of toxins in all systems, including the reproductive system.

For women, dyspareunia becomes more common as they age (painful and/or dry vagina). As women age and menopause changes their hormone production, the vagina produces less mucous for one, and for two, the vaginal canal actually become thinner and shorter, which can sometimes make sex uncomfortable.

The solution for this is a water-based lubricant and taking your time leading up to the main event.

There’s no reason sex shouldn’t be a fulfilling and enjoyable activity well into the golden years. It’s just like almost anything else in life, you can enjoy it when you’re older the healthier you are.