ABSTRACT
Levine (1992) identifies four psychological factors that influence erectile dys-
function in elderly widowers: (a) guilt about impulses to have multiple partners,
(b) a sense of “still” being married, (c) confusion about the new freedom, and/or
(d) discomfort about reactions of children and friends. In a study of 1,112 males
with prostate cancer, 62% of white males and 65% of African-American males
agreed with the statement “I do not think that I could find a new relationship if
I had an erection problem,” while 43% of whites and 55% of African-Americans
concurred with the statement “My partner would lose desire for me if I could
not perform” (Jenkins et al., 2004, p. 88).
