Leigh Norén

Men. Society views you as always ready for sex. There are books about it, tv-series that showcase it – and let’s not get started on how pornographic films portray your libido (and erectile capacity!). If I could only tell people one thing about sexual desire in men and people with penises, it would likely be this: it isn’t a constant. And there are a lot of reasons why sexual desire changes.

As a sex therapist, I'm used to seeing couples who've lost touch. Couples who have forgotten why they fell in love or why they used to love having sex with other another. Being trained in sexology and psychotherapy, I know all about the different things that keep a relationship alive.

Communication. We all know it's important and we all know we should be doing it more. And perhaps - doing it better. But have you ever stopped to wonder why communication in the relationship is so essential?

So — you’re in quarantine.

“Why has my sexual desire decreased?” — five words I hear strung together on a daily basis in my job as a sex therapist. Often, they’re accompanied by worry, sadness and sometimes even panic.

Not being able to orgasm can be distressing for anyone, regardless of gender. But for those who identify as men — it can be especially taxing. The male orgasm is often portrayed as both easy and explosive (watch any porn-film out there and this becomes abundantly clear). Because of this, male difficulty reaching orgasm is perhaps one of the sexual issues we stigmatize the most.