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SCMP Reporter

YOU are only as old as you feel, so the saying goes. When it comes to having sex, it seems men are never too old to feel the urge - even if they need a little physical assistance on the occasion.

    Kwok Lit-tung, chairman of the Association of the Rights for Elderly, says the thirst for sex does not die with age. On the contrary, the urge often increases because retirees have more time to dwell on love and romance.

  ''[Chinese] people are silly to think that old people cannot talk about sunsets and romance. Many consider them as dirty old men and fail to see that sex is a natural reaction, not a taboo,'' he said.

  While it is all very well for old people to have sex, statistics reveal that many men are impotent: incapable of having an erection.

    According to the latest survey conducted by a sexual aids equipment manufacturer, American Medical Systems (AMS), more than 60 per cent of impotent men worldwide who have undergone penile implants are between 50 and 69 years old.

  The oldest recipient was 89.

  AMS regional spokesman, Eden White, who has been promoting techniques for curing impotence for more than a decade, said many aged men are fit enough to enjoy a normal sex life. ''Except [for those who suffer from] some minor problems they encountered as a result of physical injury, hormonal problems, diabetes or being too stressed,'' Mr White said.

    In Hong Kong, old men who are diagnosed as impotent like to seek a remedy by taking different medications which include special herbal treatment and practising Qigong (meditative deep breathing).

  Mr Kwok was concerned about whether medication might harm patients; and whether old men were physically fit enough to undergo penile implant surgery.

   Mr White, however, said the artificial implant was a safe and low-risk method to cure impotence in general. ''They should have first consulted a qualified urologist who would conduct comprehensive diagnosis on the patient's fitness,'' Mr White said.

   Pre-surgical testing, including a blood test and a study of the patient's medical history, could determine the cause of impotence and the patient's suitability for the operation.

  ''The procedures are to ensure the patient's suitability to receive the surgery and to enjoy a sex life. The surgery has undergone close study for 21 years and people know what is happening. It is extremely reliable'' Mr White said.

  Patients have a choice of penile implant thickness and length for flexibility and comfort. There are two basic designs. Men with an inflatable penile prosthesis have to squeeze a pump bulb to create an erection. The other model consists of a semi-rigid tube made of malleable silicon rods, which can be bent into position for intercourse.

   ''Older people may not have agile fingers to operate the complicated inflatable prosthesis. Therefore, many of them prefer the semi-rigid device,'' Mr White said.

  Implant surgery lasts about 35 minutes and the patient's lower body is anaesthetised throughout the operation. It usually takes six weeks for the patient to recover, during which time he is advised not to have sex.

  ''Every surgery bears its own risk, but [the risk] is not major with implants,'' said Mr White.

  The frequency of having intercourse is not restricted with the implant. ''Basically, what we want them to understand is that they can lead a normal life.

  ''There is no research to say how often we should have intercourse, either. Why do we have to restrict it?''    The penile implant can overcome even biological restrictions.

  ''The woman sometimes has an orgasm much later than the man does, depending on how the sexual relationship is. A lot of men like this type of implant because when they do ejaculate, they still stay erect, until such time as their partner has an orgasm.

  ''One could say that [this is] better than the normal anatomy. But of course it wouldn't be fair to say that because we are born the way we are,'' Mr White said.

  Compared with other medications for impotency, such as hormone injection and a vacuum device to draw blood into the penis, Mr White said the permanent implant device did not disturb natural intercourse.

  Cases of the tubes breaking were also rare. But, he said, even if there was leakage, the solution inside the tube - a saline solution - was not harmful to the body.

  Having become a topic of television and radio programmes recently, it reflects the ever-changing nature of society's values.

  Mr Kwok said: ''The diminishing financial role of the aged is no longer equal to losing the desire for life.'' 



Sex need not stop for those over 60