Hooking your index finger can also be beneficial, especially for those aged 41-45, who are at high risk for erectile dysfunction.

**Hooking your index finger together also has benefits.**

Women like to hook their pinkies with others because it represents an agreement or commitment. But did you know that for men, hooking their index fingers together is also a good way to enhance virility and improve sexual performance?

Shangyang acupoint is an important acupoint for male sexual health. It is located on the radial side of the tip of the index finger, next to the nail corner. Stimulating this acupoint has a significant effect on strengthening sperm and improving male virility, and can delay sexual aging. The massage method is also simple and easy to do. When commuting by bus or subway, you can hook your index finger on the handrail or strap inside the vehicle, or hook your index fingers together and pull them repeatedly during your leisure time. You can also massage your index finger using an umbrella handle, etc.

Traditional Chinese medicine acupoints may seem mysterious, but Dr. Huang Yizheng states that there are three key acupoints on the body that are important for male sexual function, and they are easy to locate and massage. In addition to the Shangyang acupoint on the index finger mentioned above, the other key acupoints for male sexual function include the Yongquan acupoint, the Guanyuan acupoint, and the Sanyinjiao acupoint.

The Yongquan acupoint is located in the center of the sole of the foot, specifically at the junction of the anterior and middle thirds of the midline of the sole, in the depression at the front of the sole when the toes are flexed. Washing your feet with hot water before bed each night, pressing this acupoint with your fingers, or placing a small round wooden stick on your bare foot and rolling it repeatedly can all stimulate this acupoint and help with sexual function.

Guanyuan acupoint is an acupoint on the Ren meridian, located on the anterior midline of the body, 3 cun below the navel.

The "Ren Meridian" is a meridian closely related to the reproductive system in both men and women. It contains many acupoints that have aphrodisiac effects. You can stimulate the Guanyuan acupoint with acupressure, or alternately massage the abdomen around the navel with your left and right hands to stimulate the relevant acupoints on the Ren Meridian; the more times, the better.

The Sanyinjiao acupoint is where the Liver, Spleen, and Kidney meridians meet. It is located on the medial side of the tibia, about 10 cm above the medial malleolus. Acupuncture at this point is used to treat seminal emission, impotence, penile pain, dysuria, and testicular retraction, making it one of the most commonly used acupoints for treating male sexual dysfunction. Therefore, regularly massaging this point with your fingers can enhance male sexual function.

Dr. Huang Yizheng reminds everyone that the above-mentioned acupoints, apart from those on the Ren and Du meridians, are generally located on opposite sides of the body; do not miss any of them when massaging. When massaging acupoints, maintain a certain frequency and pressure. It is generally recommended to massage for 5 to 10 minutes at a time, until a local soreness and distension is felt. Additionally, the fingernails used for massage should not be too long, and the pressure applied should not be too strong to avoid injury.

Author: Geng Qiang

Supporting Expert: Huang Yizheng, Chief Physician of the Department of Andrology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

**41-45 years old is the high-risk age group for erectile dysfunction.**

Many men, after entering middle age, often wonder if their sexual ability is not as good as it used to be. In fact, aging undoubtedly affects men's erectile function, and 41-45 years old is the second peak age for male erectile dysfunction (ED) (the first peak is 21-30 years old). ED is a common condition that refers to the persistent or recurrent inability to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual intercourse.

A US survey indicates that the average incidence of moderate to severe erectile dysfunction (ED) is 35% in the 40-70 age group. Generally, mild to moderate ED is often psychogenic erectile dysfunction, with a few cases occurring in the early stages of organic lesions, while severe ED is more often organic in nature. Clinically, doctors frequently measure the stretched length of the penis in ED patients, which is essentially a measurement of penile elasticity.

Patients can also perform this measurement themselves. The method is to first measure the normal length of the penis. Hold the penis flat with one hand, and use a ruler with the other hand to measure the length from the base of the penis to the tip of the glans. This is the length before stretching. Then stretch the penis to its maximum extent and measure the length of the penis again. The difference between the two reflects the penile elasticity.

The better the penile elasticity, the greater the difference between the two, and the better the erectile function; the worse the penile elasticity, the smaller the difference between the two, and the worse the erectile function. When the increase in penile length after stretching is less than 2/3 of the original length, there may be an organic problem, especially in patients with severe conditions such as high fibrosis of the corpora cavernosa.

Author: Ma Xiaonian, Special Expert for Health Times and Director of the Department of Sexual Medicine, Yuquan Hospital Affiliated to Tsinghua University