Economic crisis causes sexual problems

By Rita A. Widiadana

The protracted economic crisis has not only affected financial conditions but also people's sexual lives, especially those of professionals and businesspeople.

JAKARTA (JP): Nico (not his real name) was a fast-tracker investment banker before the government liquidated the private bank he had worked at for more than 10 years.

The 38-year-old father of two has been out of work for about 11 months. His self-esteem is so low that nothing his wife or friends say makes him feel any better.

As his spirit sank deeper, he lost interest in many things, including sex.

"It is almost impossible to feel sexual desire when your mind is filled with lots of problems, even if you have a beautiful and understanding wife like mine," complained Nico.

For months, he could not experience satisfying sexual relations. Every time he was about to make love with his wife, disaster struck. He always failed to get an erection. Clinically, he is suffering from erectile dysfunction (the politically correct medical term for impotency).

"I have tried consuming eggs and honey, swallowed traditional herbs and have thought about buying Viagra, but I was afraid it would eat up my money," admitted Nico, who is now living on his savings.

The little blue pills, Viagra, sold at about US$10 each and produced by American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, have been regarded as a miracle medicine as they can improve the circulation of blood to the groin making it easy for most men to get and keep an erection.

"My wife asked me to seek professional help but I was too shy to tell a doctor my problem. Besides, many of my friends experience similar problems," he said.

The never-ending economic crisis has badly affected not only people's financial situations, but also their personal and marital lives, including energetic businessmen and professionals.

Indeed, businessmen and professionals have long been connected with sexual problems. A study by defunct Tiara lifestyle magazine and the Association of Indonesian Communications Scholars a few years ago showed that business uncertainty easily led to stress and could result in impotency.

"The current economic crisis which hits their businesses and professional careers could even worsen their sexual lives," said noted sociologist and poet Darmanto Jatman of Semarang's University of Diponegoro, who led the study.

This time is probably one of the most stressful stages in the their lives. The ups and downs of business life can seem just as overwhelming as the most bitter stress they have experienced.

These professionals, who frequently boast of their ability to cope well under heavy pressure, are unable to resist the effects of this kind of stress which can be harmful, resulting in headaches, hypertension, stomach pains, an irritable bowel and, of course, impotency.

In a seminar in Jakarta, Dr. Wim Pangkahila, a sexologist from the Udayana University in Bali, said 30 percent of impotency is caused by psychological and emotional problems, including stressful conditions.

There were at least four factors which influenced one's sexual potency: physical, mental, sociocultural and sexual experiences, said Pangkahilla.

Sexual problems often strike people regardless of their age and economic and social conditions.

Although some men and married couples have started to seek professional consultancy and treatment to deal with their sexual and marital problems, many others are too ashamed to discuss their problems with other people, including doctors.

Pangkahila said social status and education and economic backgrounds have contributed to increasing people's awareness of the importance of sexual quality.

"Farmers and villagers have never been heard complaining about sexual problems," he said. They often increased their sexual activity during times of stress, as a way of relieving the situation, he added.

For many opulent businessmen, who still have a lot of money, their sexual problems must dealt with instantly in order to continue with their exorbitant lifestyles.

It doesn't matter how expensive it is for rich businessmen as they feel they can buy happiness. They seek various medications, both modern and traditional, sex therapies, penis enlargement, and many aphrodisiacs to "get them going" again.

Part of the interest in such medicines and aphrodisiacs is that everybody wishes to control sex, according to anthropologist Helen Fisher, who wrote Anatomy of Love: The Natural History of Monogamy, Adultery and Divorce.

Some users seem interested in nothing more than feeding their male egos by acting out stud fantasies. At the same time, those fantasies can sometimes focus on dreams of making a woman happy.

Sex clinics

Such demands have fueled the growth of sex clinics in Jakarta and other big cities in Indonesia.

Dr. Boyke Dian Nugraha, a gynecologist and sex consultant, says that people, men and women, are now becoming more open about sex, including discussing their sex-related problems.

"I think sex is no longer a taboo issue ... All my seminars are always fully packed and many people come to my clinic," said Boyke who works at Klinik Pasutri, a sex consultancy clinic for married couples.

The clinic has received 3,000 patients since it opened last year. Most of them complain of infertility, difficulty in reaching orgasm and erectile dysfunction.

Boyke said the openness about sex issues was not only found in urban areas, but also in rural areas, such as those he saw when attending parties where people talk or joke about sex.

"Many men suffer from erectile dysfunction and all this time they have been turning to traditional herbs like Kuku Bima. I keep saying that erectile dysfunction is just like other conditions; you can come to a doctor, talk about it and cure it."

The Alexandria clinic on Jl. Rasuna Said, South Jakarta, offers integrated sexual treatment which includes physical fitness and sexual organ exercise.

Other clinics include the Grasia clinic in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta, which receives between 10 and 20 clients everyday.

Another, On Clinic Indonesia (OCI), a franchise sex clinic of the Sydney-based On Clinic, opened in Jakarta in May l996.

The clinic tapped potential clients who used to have medical treatment in Australia.

Pangkahilla, however, reminds his patients that all sexual therapies, some of which include high-tech machines, would not be effective unless they solve their own emotional and marital problems, if there are any.

Other simple advice may probably work well: Eat nutritious food, avoid alcohol and caffeine, sleep at least eight hours a night and exercise regularly.

These are the things that will replenish the energy you lose during this stressful time and help you to continue full steam.