Male Sexuality and Couple Sexual Health: A Case Illustration

Abstract

Male sexual problems are common and offer exceptional opportunities for clinicians to not only relieve distress but enhance individual and relationship satisfaction. However, limited clinical focus on sex behaviors alone often overlook this opportunity. With more comprehensive approaches, clinicians are able to both facilitate improved sexual function and to promote positive, realistic principles for healthy and satisfying male and couple sexuality. Approaches such as the Good-Enough Sex model provide clinicians with crucial elements to resolve common male sexual problems and promote sexual health and couple satisfaction. This article summarizes realistic features for men's (and women's) sexual health including promoting the positive value of sex, promoting realistic expectations, supporting pleasure as well as physical function, promoting sexual flexibility by integrating 5 basic purposes for being sexual and 3 arousal styles, appreciating the variable quality of sex, building relationship cooperation as an “intimate team,” and integrating sex into one's real life. Such features promoting healthy, satisfying sexuality are illustrated with a case example.