Sex libido killers

By Philip Chua
Cebu Daily News

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ABOUT 33 percent of men over 40 and as many as 15 million men in the US have erectile dysfunction (ED). While low sexual desire is another condition, ED in men can induce lack of libido because of the awareness, consciousness, and fear of inability to have effective erection during intercourse. The problem of low sex libido is likewise significant among women in general, especially among those with lack of natural vaginal lubrication. The dilemma is really widespread around the world, affecting not only older persons but individuals as early as in their 30s or 40s.

One of the most enjoyable instinctive pleasures in life is intimacy with a loved one, and yet a significant number of us seems to have lost the desire for sex. Why? What kills this natural drive?

There are many factors in today’s complex society that kill natural sex libido, negatively affecting millions of man and women.

Age is one of them. As we grow older, our sex

hormones dwindle as expected, and with this goes our sex drive. Of course, this varies a lot among individuals. There are persons who continue to be sexually active, many without the aid of medications, even past their 60s and 70s. Some are actually “addicted” to sex.

Besides genetics, general health plays a major role in our sexual health.

The so-called HSDD (hypoactive sexual desire disorder) is mostly caused by these additional factors:

1. Psychological—Daily stress, anxiety, anger,

jealousy, envy, greed, depression, and actual mental disorder

2. Medical—Illnesses, like diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), obesity, elevated cholesterol level, medications for treatment of hypertension, hair-loss drugs, HIV medications, chemotherapy agents, etc.

3. Hormonal—The sex hormone testosterone, which affects both men and women could be so low, among the older persons, although this also happens to a lesser degree in some young people, causing low sex drive. Deficient thyroid hormone and elevated prolactin hormone can cause the same problem.

4. Intrinsic Chemical—The brain is considered the largest sex organ, contrary to what some people might believe. The brain chemical messaging system that transmits and triggers sex desire, in response to external and internal stimulation, involves dopamine, among others, which increases sex libido. This is obvious among Parkinson patients being treated with dopamine-stimulating drugs.

So, if your sex drive is on neutral or on park, if could be possibly due to any of the conditions or factors above, or from any specific situations we will explore below. Analyzing your personal situation is a good start before seeking medical help.

One of the commonest libido killers, as listed above, is stress. This could come from a variety of situation, like work-related stress, money problem, personal or family health dilemmas, family relationship stress in general, all of which are stressors that knock out sex drive. Among women, vaginal dryness can contribute to lack of sexual appetite. But this condition is readily solved by a variety of lubricants available today.

Unresolved issues, from many fronts, are common causes of low sexual interest. Women, in particular, need emotional intimacy for a successful sexual arousal. While most men in general are more interested in the physical act, women are more into emotions and deeper meaning of a relationship. Any question of loyalty or brewing arguments can diminish sexual drive.

Fatigue, lack of sleep, lack of energy, busy routines with a lot of unfinished work, etc can take a big toll on the interest for sexual intimacy. Like in with any activities that need concentration, sex requires the mind to be fully engaged for the other parts of the body to function properly. Any distraction, external or internal, will negatively impact the drive.

Obesity is one condition with a social stigma that can lessen sexual desire, even if its medical and

hormonal side-effects are not considered in this

discussion. The body mass index alone affects the

actual performance, and the beholder and potential partners may also be less aroused. Medical conditions obese persons are prone too may also have the same impact.

Then, there is also self esteem as a part of the equation. Poor body image from being overweight will

decrease the feeling of the person that he/she is sexy. This in itself diminishes the libido. And, as stated

earlier, the partner could also be negatively influenced by this.

Among the external factors is alcohol intake. While one drink might be a stimulus for some, it could be a severe downer for others. I have often quoted Shakespeare, who wrote “alcohol increases the desire but

diminishes the performance.” The threshold, of course, varies from person to person, as far as their tolerance to the stimulating or sedative effect of alcohol. Some partners are also turned off by alcoholic breath alone, and, of course, more so, by majority, if not all, by the actual state of inebriation.

Smoking, cigarette-breath, and smoking cough are turn-offs for some people. When the lungs are weakened by smoking, the oxygen they can provide is

diminished, and so with the energy and physical

fitness of the smoker. This includes sex libido. Of course, the effect will be directly proportional to the damage already caused by smoking.

Along the same line, parenting can negatively influence the desire for intimacy, its timing, and opportunity. While it is not major problem, it can be a factor. A new addition to the family can certainly use up a lot of time and energy of the one taking care of the infant. Sometimes, it is worth hiring a baby-sitter, even occasionally, to free-up some time for rest, relaxation, and romance.

Medications can cause decreased sex libido. Drugs that zap libido include antidepressants, blood pressure medications, some oral contraceptives, medications for HIV, chemotherapy agents, tranquilizers, sedatives, even cough suppressants.

Menopause, on either gender, but more especially among females, where hormonal changes cause

decrease in libido and aggravated by dryness of the vagina, definitely lead to plummeting sexual desire.

Healthy lifestyle, including exercise and calorie

control to prevent obesity and promote a sexy body, and prevention of diseases, will tremendously

enhanced everyone ability to improve their libido and sexual performance. There is no drug that can replace or equal this natural strategy.

Finally, I cannot overemphasize the value of intimacy in a relationship. Creating a romantic atmosphere as often as desired or whenever possible among couples, no matter how old they are, and simply starting the day right, being nice to each other, being playful, snuggling together, or just holding each other, can help a lot in cementing a warm, loving, and enduring relationship. The bonus of improved or heightened libido is a great dividend for both partner for all the efforts and considerations they each invest in this endeavor of love.

*Please visit www.PhilipSchua.com

Blogging - Why Do Some Blogs Fail?

By Lanie Ricketts

Starting and running a blog can be a rewarding experience if done correctly and in a manner that will gradually increase the audience. Whether you want to talk about your new tabby cat, what you did today or share information about your business, blogging is a great way to share that information with anyone who is interested in what you have to say. It's a sounding board and as the blogger, you control what the message is.

Most bloggers dream of grander things when they start their blog. They imagine that in no time they will have hundreds of followers eagerly logging online every day to go to their blog and hang on their every word. Months later, when this doesn't happen, some become discouraged and do one of the worst things a blogger can ever do. They stop posting on a regular basis which is blogging suicide.

Truth of the matter is that it takes time to build a following for any new blog. Patience and consistent postings are the keys to building a blog along with a bit of know how in advertising using social media, word of mouth and link sharing with other blogs with similar content and interests.

The reasons for starting a blog are as different as the bloggers that post on them. One of the most popular reasons is to make money with affiliate programs, drive traffic to a business website or entice people to spend their money one way or another. In other words, the blog is created for cashing in on the audience. Granted there are many successful blog owners out there that are making a substantial living with their blog, don't expect to be one of them right from the beginning and don't give up easily while in the process of building your following.

Why do some blogs fail? There are many reasons for failure.

• The blog format is too cluttered. Choose a design for your blog that is easy to read and looks organized. It is so tempting to fill the sidebar of your blog up with affiliate links and other money making banners but resist the temptation. It is important that the content of your blog be interesting. Notice I didn't necessarily say informative? That's because there are so many different niches to choose from when blogging that you can write anything you want, just make sure what you write is interesting.


• The entries are poorly written. One of the most irritating things in the world for a blog follower is to try and decipher poorly written blog entries. Improper grammar and spelling can be one of the kisses of death for a blog. Be sure to have some sort of grasp on the English language (if your blog is geared toward an English speaking audience) before diving in to write an entry for your blog.


• It doesn't tell a story. Each blog entry should read like a mini-story. It should have a beginning, middle and a conclusion. Don't jump around the timeline because that is extremely confusing for most people. Get to the point and close the story out in the end. If it is a business blog, a call to action is an excellent choice that should be included at the end of every entry.


• Your entries are plagiarized. No matter how tempting it may be, just don't do it. If you don't know what plagiarizing is then please go Google it now. It is important for every writer no matter how often they write to know the importance of everything being original. It's no fun to find out someone else has stolen your work or to be discovered and the one who stole it. Word travels at the speed of lightning online and your blogging reputation can be shot before it ever had a chance to start.


• Your entries aren't consistent enough. Pick a posting schedule and stick with it. If you want to post every day, then post every day. If you want to post a few times a week, then stick with it. Once you stop posting, people will stop reading. Consistency is the key to a successful blog.


• You try to monetize too early and become a pushy salesman. Unless your blog specializes in product reviews or a certain niche that deals specifically with affiliates, don't try to push a product down your reader's throat. If you find a product that you like and want to talk about it, by all means do it. It's just not wise to fill your blog up with advertisements. People will quickly think you are becoming a spammer and will stop reading you. When the time is right, you can add affiliate links and monetize your blog for your own benefit.

There are many reasons why blogs fail and those are just a few. Successful blogging takes planning, time and a great bit of patience. It never hurts to have a keen since of humor as well. You never know who will be stopping by your blog at any given moment and the feedback they will leave you in the comments.

Lanie Ricketts is a professional article writer and blogger. You can visit her personal blog at http://www.lanieblogs.com or follow her on Twitter athttp://www.twitter.com/laniehasquin.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lanie_Ricketts

Population collapse equals economic collapse

By: Amado de Jesus
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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It is unclear how the country will reach 126 million population in 2030.

The average Filipina of reproductive age with 6 children 35 years ago, has only 3 children today because of lifestyle change. Half of all women in the country today use artificial contraceptives. Family size has gone down from our grandparents’ time to ours. At the present rate, the Philippines will be at 2.1 total fertility rate or zero population growth by 2025.

Exactly 51 countries or one-third of all countries now have below replacement level total fertility rate, or TFR. China with 1.6 billion and India with 1.3 billion population attribute their new prosperity to their huge population.

The Moscow Demographic Summit of June 2011 declared that nearly half of all mankind today are living in countries where the birth rate is no longer able to replace the older generation, and that depopulation is the world’s next irreversible crisis.

Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore representatives at the Asean Future Cities Conference talked about shrinking, graying cities.

Poor people

The real problem concerning the number of poor people in the Philippines is that out of every P10 that the government spends, at least P3 go to corruption. Imagine if that money went to education, infrastructure and healthcare.

The solution is not to mandate every couple applying for a marriage license to go through modern family planning instructions, thus making contraceptive sex a component of marriage, and using taxpayers’ money. Talk of intrusion into the bedroom.

It is not so simple to control the number of babies to alleviate poverty. The population pyramid will shrink at the base, which today comprises 35 percent of total population including the 0-14 years age group. In the next 10 years, the population of those in the economically active age from 15 to 65 years which now stands at 61 percent of total population will bloat further. But unfortunately, things will not stop there.

As the youngest sector of our population shrinks, the economically active people will eventually reduce in number over the years. The experience of all countries that legalized artificial contraception shows that in 50-60 years, the population pyramid inverts, and then it becomes necessary to solve the problem of too many old people.

What started as a population problem becomes an economic problem. This trend is irreversible. It is not a matter of opening and closing the water faucet.

Hub in Asia

The Asia City Innovation System Project collaborated by six Asean cities sees Manila as an educational hub in Asia. This will require initiatives to attract career in education. Most schools in the future will be privately owned, and the quality of education will be dictated by forces of competition.

Nontraditional educational training programs will mushroom due to the need for specific skills to be employed. Curriculum in the formal educational sector will focus on creativity and innovation. We will see the drawback of our lack of emphasis on training the young in critical thinking and creativity.

As cities grow, land-use policies have to be well studied and implemented. Unfortunately, projects will still be discontinued without proper evaluation when a new administration is elected.

Typhoons, flooding and earthquakes will require architects and engineers to design and build structures that can withstand calamities. Rainwater collection and roof gardens, intelligent garbage disposal will hopefully become common all over the city of the future.

Social sustainability-equity, social justice, poverty have to be addressed. Giving priority to expensive tollways and skyways that exclude the poor is unsustainable.

For comments or inquiries, e-mail amadodejesus@gmail.com.