Could the Economy Be Ruining Your Sex Life?

Could the Economy Be Ruining Your Sex Life?

By Amy Levin-Epstein

Being unemployed, underpaid, or over-stressed can contribute to erectile dysfunction and drag down your sex life. Here's how to help your relationship bounce back.

Suspect your partner’s recent work woes may be working their way into your bedroom? You may be right, according to experts who say that the economy and erections are closely linked.

“We know that stress is one of the major causes of erectile dysfunction, and there have been few greater stressors in our lifetimes than the economic downturn that we are now starting to emerge from,” says J. Stephen Jones, MD, chairman of the department of regional urology at the Cleveland Clinic.

And while we’re all concerned about money (and mortgages, and job opportunities, and saving for college, and more) the psychological impact on men, on the whole, may be greater than for women. “Because career is a big part of men’s identities, being jobless or under-employed makes many men experience feelings of inadequacy. The impact on sexuality and sexual performance is self-evident,” says Jones.

And while the once, um, flaccid economy may be starting to turn around, there are still aftershocks. “I see stress from new jobs affecting men, especially new jobs that aren’t paying as much as old ones,” says sex therapist and board-certified sexologist Debra Laino, DHS, and author of Eleven Reasons Why Women Cheat.

Here are the four biggest ways that work and money woes can wreak havoc on your partner's sexual performance and — and how you can help your relationship recover from economy-related ED. Read more