When you acquire a sexually transmitted infection, it doesn’t make you impotent right away. However, there are certain STDs that can, if you leave it untreated for a significant period of time.
That’s because a sexually transmitted infection can cause inflammation in your genital organs which, in turn, can lead to scarring and other complications, eventually resulting in erectile dysfunction. Learn about which STDs increase your risk of erectile dysfunction.
Urethritis
When you have an STD, there’s a good chance that the infection will cause inflammation in your urethra, a condition referred to as urethritis. This is especially true if the STD is caused by bacteria such as Chlamydia trachomatis. However, Chlamydia isn’t the only STD that can make your urethra swollen and inflamed.
Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma genitalium, and Neisseria gonorrhea are all known to cause urethritis. Infection with the Herpes simplex virus or Trichomonas vaginalis may also lead to urethritis, although such cases are not so common.
What’s worrisome about urethritis is that it can cause scar tissue to form and grow inside your urethra. If that happens in the anterior part of your urethra, which is the part that’s nearer your penis opening, then it could affect your corpora cavernosa.
The corpora cavernosa are the two separate but parallel regions of erectile tissues in your penis, and they are located just above your urethra. When your urethra becomes scarred due to urethritis, the scar tissue can affect the tunica albuginea that wraps your corpus cavernosum.
The scar can affect the erectile tissues inside the corpus cavernosum as well. When that happens, those tissues may no longer be able to function well and can no longer get sufficiently filled with blood during sexual arousal, thus leading to erectile dysfunction.
In addition, the scar tissue inside your urethra can also cause a stricture, which means that your urethra has narrowed. A urethral stricture can block the path of your urine and your semen, which is why the condition is also considered a risk factor of male infertility. Urethritis is in fact associated with decreased sperm concentration and poor sperm quality.
Chronic Prostatitis
When your prostate gland becomes inflamed due to a bacterial infection, that condition is referred to as prostatitis. When you have chronic prostatitis, it means that the inflammation is lasting for several months already. Not only is it extremely painful, but it can also have detrimental effects on your sexual function and urination.
If you get infected with Chlamydia trachomatis, the bacteria can travel from your urethra to your prostate gland. Once the infection reaches your prostate, it will cause your prostate gland to become swollen. The swollen gland will then exert pressure on your urethra, which makes both urination and ejaculation painful.
You will also most likely experience other symptoms such as a frequent and urgent need to urinate, pain in your testicles, penis, rectum, perineum, and lower back. Chills, nausea, and fever are also typical symptoms.
Not only does chronic prostatitis lead to impaired erectile function, but it can also negatively affect your fertility. Chlamydial prostatitis, in particular, has been shown to reduce sperm concentration and lead to poor sperm morphology and motility as compared to prostatitis caused by other pathogens.
Preventing STDs
It’s common knowledge that sexually transmitted infections are bad. But not everyone is aware of the kinds of complications that STDs can lead to, and that it can make you infertile, impotent, or even both. This is just another good reason why you should always keep yourself and your partner protected whenever you’re having sex.
Latex condoms are still considered the best way to protect yourself not only from sexually transmitted infections but also from unplanned pregnancies. There are other forms of contraceptives, of course, but none of them can protect you against STDs as effectively as condoms.
Unfortunately, there’s no vaccine that can help protect you from all sorts of STDs. But you can have yourself vaccinated for HPV, as well as hepatitis A and B. Washing before and after sex can also help lower your risks of acquiring an STD.
It’s also best to avoid sharing underclothing and towels, as some STDs like trichomoniasis and pubic lice can be spread through contact with contaminated clothing.
Preventing Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction has so many various causes that it seems as if it’s completely inevitable. The truth, however, is that you can definitely ward off erectile dysfunction if you take certain preventive measures. And if you do already have it, it doesn’t mean that you can’t improve your erectile function either.
For one, surgical procedures and prescription medications are now available, although these treatment options for erectile dysfunction are not always readily accessible or affordable for most men.
In truth, you can actually restore your erectile function through natural remedies. Even just exercising on a regular basis and eating a healthfully balanced diet can already help. Countless studies have already shown how helpful both are for men with erectile dysfunction.
Exercising will increase your penile blood flow by improving your cardiovascular health, and plant-based foods can help improve the health of your blood vessels, as well as give you added antioxidant protection. This may not seem much, and you won’t really see immediate results, but they do help in improving your body’s ability to successfully achieve erections.
Alternatively, you can take dietary supplements such as Tongkat Ali, fenugreek, Ashwagandha, Tribulus terrestris, and Horny Goat Weed. In fact, if you really want to reduce your erectile dysfunction symptoms and get your erection back, you should try taking Male UltraCore, a unique male enhancement pill that contains all these natural ingredients.
On top of that, L-arginine, zinc, maca, Butea superba, damiana extract, and many other natural ingredients are also included in Male UltraCore’s formula. This unique formulation is one of the reasons why Male UltraCore is so potent in boosting erections.
Plus, with Male UltraCore, you get to enjoy higher testosterone levels, improved libido, increased sexual stamina, and you won’t even have to worry about your sperm count or your semen volume. Of course, it goes without saying that when you take Male UltraCore, you’ll definitely enjoy dramatically improved erections.
