From Traffic Jams to Sex Problems

Dubai traffic jams are creating too much stress;

"There is no denying that sex is important to strengthen a couple's bond and keep the relationship going, says Dr Saoud Al Moulla, head of the psychiatric department at the Dubai Department of Health and Medical Services (Dohms).

"Sex plays a large role in love. It's important from a psychological and biological standpoint,” he said.

And anything that gives the final push to people psychologically predisposed to stress, depression and anxiety, such as being stuck in traffic for hours day in and day out, can cause people to lose their sex drive and desire, he added. "It's very draining mentally. Driving requires a higher function of the brain. When you keep stopping and starting, watching for someone to turn, to adjust for something and be alert [in traffic jams], it can be more exhausting than driving on a straight long road ,” he said.

In the long term, this can lead to problems in the bedroom, with men temporarily losing the ability to have or sustain an erection.

This condition is called psychogenic erectile dysfunction, according to Dr. Rosie King, a sexual health physician from Australia, who is attending the 3rd Pan-Arab Society for Sexual Medicine Congress in Dubai.

She said the Global Better Sex Survey, which she helped design, found that the ability to have an erection, and therefore sex, was very important to both men and women. "A tired man is not a sexy man. Being stuck in traffic saps people's energy," she added."