twice weekly up to the age of 60 and then just once a week up to the age of 69

One of the big ethical dilemmas is whether men have a right to have sex as they get older and therefore whether they have a legal right to free erectile dysfunction medication under state and private health insurance policies. Is erectile dysfunction for example at the age of 75 actually an illness or is it a natural fact of the aging process which therefore does not require medical intervention?

This dilemma was recently the subject of a complicated court case in South Korea after it was deemed necessary to establish the damages to be awarded to a man of 47 who had become impotent after a car crash. The court had to decide what the ‘sexual life expectancy’ of the man was in order to establish exactly how many years of sexual activity he was missing out on as a result of his accident and therefore how much compensation he should be awarded.

The high court of Seoul under Judge Chung Hyun-soo decided that the compensation payable would be worked out on the basis that the man would have been able to have sex twice weekly up to the age of 60 and then just once a week up to the age of 69. A team of doctors were consulted before setting the sexual life expectancy in South Korea which was actually slightly lower than a previous court case which had set it at the age of 71.

All men should expect a decline in sexual function as they age but provided that they maintain a proper healthy diet, get regular exercise and generally live a healthy life there is no reason why sexual activity will completely cease. Ideally the drugs Viagra, Cialis and Levitra should be a last resort to help men suffering from erectile problems as they age and should not be considered as drugs to offset the effects of unhealthy lifestyle.