A man named Dana Jennings explains how he is handling the erectile dysfunction that has come along with his struggle with prostate cancer:
To me, the ads for the magic pills never seem to strike quite the right note. The men often look as furtive as teenagers buying condoms. And the narrators are hushed and ominous, like the voice-over in a campaign attack ad.
In the popular mind, manhood and womanhood have become ever more confused with the sexual act. But manhood isn’t about prodigious feats of lovemaking or how many partners you can bed. There are no official standings.
True manhood is about love and kindness. It’s about responsibility and honor, about working hard and raising your children the best way you know how, with love, respect and discipline.
It seems a shame that New York Times readers might not read such a thing without a cancer survivor explaining it, in the context of his health battle. On the other hand: Thankfully, the New York Times is open to such a concept.