The Truth About Impotence

Frankly, it's amazing what we don't know about impotence. I cued up this informative Nova episode--which, incidentally, sports the best animated penis and associated plumbing works I've ever seen--"knowing" that impotence was caused by either a) not enough lead flowing into the pencil, or b) derailed trains of thought, such as "Wow, my beloved's wearing a see-through nightie....‘See' and ‘sea' are homonyms....Jeez, the Seattle Seahawks are gonna tank again this year." Down periscope. Up until recently, the prevailing notion about impotence, advanced by Masters and Johnson during the ‘70s, was that the condition was 90% psychological. Not so, say urologists today. Over 50% of men aged 40-70 will experience some degree of erectile dysfunction, and recent studies have shown--not surprisingly, when you think about it--that the same risk factors that lead to cardiac disease are also associated with impotence: hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, and smoking, all of which damage the circulatory system. The Truth About Impotence interviews both physicians and patients, including men who've tried vacuum pumps, penile implants, penile injections ("placing a needle into the penis is a frightening thought" deadpans the narrator in what can only be called a huge understatement) and Viagra, the little blue pill which has captured the hearts, minds, and genitals of men, women and Pfizer stockholders everywhere. Viewers will learn the biology, become aware of the various treatments and their drawbacks, and witness some touching stories, including those of couples in their late seventies who make it perfectly clear that sex does not stop the day your senior citizen discount begins. Sure to be very popular, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (R. Pitman)