http://www.smh.com.au/news/national...6770800804.html
Motorbike riders risk impotence, say doctors
Kate Benson, Medical Reporter
November 23, 2008
MEN who ride motorcycles are at risk of impotence and urinary problems because the vibration of the engine damages nerves in their penises, a study has found.
A survey of more than 230 motorcyclists who rode their bikes for about three hours every weekend found almost 70 per cent had problems gaining an erection or emptying their bladders.
The news is alarming for Sydneysiders who have turned in droves to motorcycles and scooters in the past few years to beat rising fuel prices and growing traffic congestion.
More than 2100 motorcycles and scooters were newly registered in Sydney last month alone, pushing the total number to more than 66,000 in Sydney and 135,000 in NSW, Roads and Traffic Authority figures show.
The increase has led to the City of Sydney council offering free parking, and other councils developing more parking areas for motorbikes.
Doctors in Japan, who published two studies on the dangers in the International Journal Of Impotence Research, said seats on most motorcycles put undue pressure on the perineum, the area between the anus and the ball, and restricted blood flow to the pencil.
Vibrations from the engine also caused a decrease in two growth hormones in the bladder and prostate related to bladder relaxation.
Impotence affects most males during their lives and can be caused by emotional issues, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking or alcohol.
But all men should avoid sitting on hard bicycle or motorcycle seats, particularly seats with thin, pointed ends, for long periods to prevent compression of pelvic floor muscles, Impotence Australia chief executive officer Brett McCann said yesterday.
All men in the study had been sexually active in the past six months and none had any illnesses.
About 76 per cent of riders aged 40 to 49, and 93 per cent of those aged 50 to 59, reported severe erectile dysfunction, compared with 37 per cent and 42 per cent respectively among those who did not ride motorcycles.
John Sbrocchi, of Wamberal, has been riding a scooter to work for 2½ years. His sex life had not suffered. Scooters normally have wider, softer seats than motorcycles, but vibrations can still affect the genitals.
"I do have urinary flow issues, but I'm not putting it down to the scooter," Mr Sbrocchi said. "I'm a man of 62 and when you get to that age you get prostate problems. I think scooters are one of life's greatest innovations so it would take more than that to put me off."
Mike 
