Economic crisis causes sexual problems

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.