Students kiss as they march through the streets of Paris in support of the French government's draft law to legalise marriage and adoption for same-sex couples, January 27, 2013.
Students kiss as they march through the streets of Paris in support of the French government's draft law to legalise marriage and adoption for same-sex couples, January 27, 2013. Reuters

According to a study, having regular sexual intercourse can help avoid erection problems or erectile dysfunction. Erection problems, mostly faced by older men, can now be avoided by having sex more often. Researchers said that this can reduce the risks of erectile dysfunction or developing erectile problems to a great extent.

The 2008 study, which involved the observation of 1000 older Finnish men found that those who claimed that they had sex at least once a week were less likely to develop erection problems than those who had sex less than once a week. As reported by ABC Science Online, older people should "have sex, and have it often," to avoid erection problems.

"Regular intercourse has an important role in preserving erectile function among elderly men," said lead author Dr. Juha Koskimaki. He further added, "Continued sexual activity decreases the incidence of erectile dysfunction in direct proportion to coital frequency." The conclusion was made, taking into account some health factors such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and depression; all of which can be linked to erectile dysfunction.

According to specialist Dr. Doug Lording, Honorary Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Monash University and an andrologist at Melbourne's Cabrini Hospital, "Sex is exercise. Thrusting away is like walking a kilometer or two at a good pace. And having an orgasm is like sprinting up a couple of flights of stairs." When asked if having sex too often is safe enough, he said, "For most people, it would be safe. But if they have angina (chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart), severe hypertension (high blood pressure) or cardiac failure that is not being assessed and treated, it would not be a good idea to start promoting having more sex because there is an increased risk associated with that." However, regular sex will not help those who are already facing erection problems, say researchers.

Elaborating on health problems related to erection, Dr. Lording said that sexually active people are more physically and mentally healthier. While accepting the fact that sexual intercourse ensures that the penis is healthy, "whether sexual intercourse has benefits for the penis over and above those provided by a man's normal night time erections, or by him masturbating, has not been tested yet", said Dr. Lording.

Other ways to help avoid erection dysfunction includes keeping a check on your weight, cholesterol, blood pressure and sugar levels. Smoking and consuming too much of alcohol can also lead to problems in erection. A 30-minute exercise every day can go a long way in keeping erection problems at bay.

What is Erectile Dysfunction?
Erection problem, also known as erectile dysfunction or impotence, happens when a man is unable to keep an erection that is firm enough for him to have sex. Though erection problems can happen anytime every now and then, it is most common among older men with other health problems.