we are not suggesting that Mr Cook has an erectile dysfunction problem

The Japanese survey which we reported on last week which links higher rates of erectile dysfunction to men who ride motorbikes has caused quite a stir in the press and among motorbike riders. It seems that part of the problem is that macho bike riders do not like the stigma of being labeled as a group who suffer from impotence problems more frequently.

For example the Australian newspaper The Northern Star interviewed Mr Cook, a Harley Davidson bike rider who was adamant that he had never had problems with erectile function despite driving for miles and miles on thundering bike. The only problem with this is that the very last thing that any motor bike rider would ever admit to a newspaper was that he had erectile dysfunction. Men find it difficult even to admit to their wives that they have erectile function problems and instead pretend that they have lost interest in sex.

Now we are not suggesting that Mr Cook has an erectile dysfunction problem but what we are suggesting is that even if he did he wouldn't tell us about and therefore whatever he says or any other bikers says in public really cannot be taken at face value.

Collecting data on male sexual problems can be extremely difficult as it is unusual for most men to be 100 percent honest when describing their sexual prowess. It is likely that the Japanese survey which questioned over 230 bike riders under reported the problem of bikers with erectile dysfunction rather than the opposite.

Certain types of men especially those who give off a macho image such as bike riders and for example Hell's Angels are also probably less likely to admit to a researcher the extent of their impotence problem. Even blind surveys in which the questioning is not done face to face can produce inaccurate reporting as men do not even admit the erectile problems to themselves sometimes.

All we can tell you at Ukmedix News is that if you do ride a bike or operate heavy machinery and you are suffering from erectile dysfunction maybe you know the reason why now!