DEAR DR. GOTT: My husband is 62 and healthy except for an enlarged prostate, and he is not overweight. His main problem is that he has a very low sex drive, and he cannot obtain an erection. He has tried all the oral drugs on the market, but they do not do anything that lasts more than a few seconds. The injections you give yourself create some response but are still not natural. He has seen four urologists, but they have no answers, either. Is there another direction to pursue, or is this just hopeless?
DEAR READER: Your husband is rapidly exhausting his therapeutic options. I believe that the next step would be a vacuum pump that forces blood into the penile tissues and keeps it there until orgasm. One of his urologists can advise you about the technique and should be able to prescribe the device if your husband wants it.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report "Erectile Dysfunction." Other readers who would like a copy should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.
DEAR DR. GOTT: During a visit to my doctor, we talked about whether it was time for a Pap smear. I am 68 years old, and he told me that after 65 years old, it's not necessary to have one. Who is right? My friend at the age of 75 still gets one every year.
DEAR READER: Gynecology specialists have advised that women over 65 who have no gynecological symptoms or histories of pelvic cancer can safely avoid annual Pap tests. As you can imagine, this policy met with significant objections when it was first published several years ago. Doctors were not happy about its implications — primarily, that women with cancer would be diagnosed too late to be cured.
I believe that your doctor is correct, but I strongly advise you (and other readers in your age group) to make the decision to have a Pap if you feel more comfortable with that option.
In my practice, I estimate that about half of my over-65 female patients are delighted at being able to avoid the Pap test. The others want to continue having the test performed. And that's fine. I tell them to discuss this issue with their gynecologists.
To give you related information, I am sending you copies of my Health Reports "Menopause" and "Vaginal Infections and Disorders." Other readers who would like a copy should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.
DEAR READER: Your husband is rapidly exhausting his therapeutic options. I believe that the next step would be a vacuum pump that forces blood into the penile tissues and keeps it there until orgasm. One of his urologists can advise you about the technique and should be able to prescribe the device if your husband wants it.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report "Erectile Dysfunction." Other readers who would like a copy should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.
DEAR DR. GOTT: During a visit to my doctor, we talked about whether it was time for a Pap smear. I am 68 years old, and he told me that after 65 years old, it's not necessary to have one. Who is right? My friend at the age of 75 still gets one every year.
DEAR READER: Gynecology specialists have advised that women over 65 who have no gynecological symptoms or histories of pelvic cancer can safely avoid annual Pap tests. As you can imagine, this policy met with significant objections when it was first published several years ago. Doctors were not happy about its implications — primarily, that women with cancer would be diagnosed too late to be cured.
I believe that your doctor is correct, but I strongly advise you (and other readers in your age group) to make the decision to have a Pap if you feel more comfortable with that option.
In my practice, I estimate that about half of my over-65 female patients are delighted at being able to avoid the Pap test. The others want to continue having the test performed. And that's fine. I tell them to discuss this issue with their gynecologists.
To give you related information, I am sending you copies of my Health Reports "Menopause" and "Vaginal Infections and Disorders." Other readers who would like a copy should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.