Sneaky Health Issues That Mess With Your Sex Life

Everyone likes to talk about sex—that is, until they're not having it.

Satisfying, safe sex adds years to the lives of women and men alike, while bringing us closer to our partners.

But when your male partner experiences a decreased sex drive, your relationship takes a hit. While women report having less sex drive than they think they should, the truth is, it's not uncommon for men to have trouble getting into the mood.

If a man has trouble with sexual performance most of the time (not just once every five times) there's probably a reason for it. Erectile Dysfunction (ED) affects nearly 20 percent of men in the U.S. In fact, a new study finds that problems reaching orgasm are a "regular occurrence even in men without ED."

The good news is that when you know the cause of your sexual difficulties, you can address it head-on. ED specifically tends to increase with age, and there are tons of (surprising) factors to look out for, ranging from the emotional to the physical. Check out the research behind them to see how you and your partner could fix it.

Read The Surprising Secret to Hotter Sex

Problem: "Partner betweenness," or when a woman comes between a man and his friends, by getting closer to his friends.

How it interferes: Partner betweenness decreases the man's feelings of privacy and independence with his friends, compromising his concept of masculinity. This can put a damper on relationship satisfaction and attraction. Another possibility is that not having another outlet to confide in can increase conflict in the relationship.

Research: Men whose female partners were more in touch to their confidants were 92 percent more likely to have erectile trouble than a man who was closer to his own friends.

Bottom line: It's OK to have shared friends, it can even help give a positive sense of "couplehood." However, giving each other space is essential for your relationship to grow. A couple shouldn't be "one," that's why it's called a couple! Develop your own interests and friends outside of the relationship. That way, you come back to it feeling refreshed and relaxed.