American scientists believe that erectile dysfunction can be caused not only by medical and psychological factors, but also by social ones.
Jealousy
The new research by scientists from Cornell University and University of Chicago suggests that men may experience sexual disorders like erectile dysfunction when their female partners have more communication with men’s best friends.
Researchers call this phenomenon “partner betwenness,” because the woman seems to come between the man and his friends. Commenting on the findings, leaders of the research, Benjamin Cornwell and Edward Laumann, say: “Men who experience partner betweenness in their joint relationships are more likely to have trouble getting or maintaining an erection and are also more likely to experience difficulty achieving orgasm during sex.”
Researchers point out that there is much more to erectile dysfunction than it is believed to be. As such, those are not only psychological and medical factors that determine ED, but also social. Cornwell and Laumann think that “partner betwenness” undermines men’s perception of traditional masculanity and ruins their privacy.
The research was carried in 2005-2006 among 3,005 Americans aged 57-85. The data was provided by the University of Chicago based on its National Social Life, Health and Aging Project.
