Sexual Dysfunction – Too many prying eyes?

Having troubles between the sheets? Try spending the night someplace more secluded—for his sake. It turns out that lack of privacy plays a significant factor in male sexual dysfunction, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.

To figure out what was bothering men in bed, researchers at the University of Florence and nearby hospitals analyzed information from 3,736 men under age 52 who sought help for sexual dysfunction. They found that 16 percent of these men reported at least some problems with lack of sexual privacy—stemming from still living at home, living with roommates, having children in the house, or even hooking up in a car. And surprisingly, these guys were more likely to struggle with maintaining an erection and with premature ejaculation than other men with ample privacy.

It’s not a huge shock that guys who didn’t live with their partners showed almost a twofold increase in lack of privacy. But a nosy roommate isn’t the only problem: Having children also doubled the risk of feeling a little too exposed. Plus, the problems go beyond the bedroom; it turns out, those who had a lack of sexual privacy were also at a higher risk of relationship conflicts.

Who knew his sex troubles could stem from not having enough alone time? Going to a hotel will help, sure, but you can’t exactly book a room every time you want to get busy. Try to take advantage of those times when his roommates are out of the apartment (or, if you have kids, take your friends and family up on those offers to babysit). And if your man is having a little trouble staying revved up when you two don’t have total privacy, cut him some slack—at least now you’ll know why.