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_WELCOME TO ETHELS TELL ALL, WHERE THE WRITERS BEHIND_ THE ETHEL _NEWSLETTER SHARE THEIR PERSONAL STORIES RELATED TO THE JOYS AND CHALLENGES OF AGING. COME BACK EACH WEDNESDAY FOR THE LATEST

PIECE, EXCLUSIVELY ON __AARP MEMBERS EDITION._ The first time I met my future husband — at a friend’s Super Bowl party — I knew: This is a man who likes sex. He oozed a certain sensuality.

The way he focused on me made me feel like I was even more exciting than the Buffalo Bills. Within three weeks we were together. And together. And together. And together. We’re each other’s

second marriage, and 35 years later, he still manages to look at my 71-year-old breasts like he’s a teenager and I’m the naughty cheerleader. So, yes — the sex has been excellent. Lately,

though, there’s been a bit of a bump in the proceedings. The love’s there. The desire’s there. It’s the mechanics that aren’t pulling their weight anymore. We can’t point fingers at

diabetes, heart disease or prostate problems; medical issues that can cause a formerly frisky friend to defrisk. In this case, the culprit seems to be Father Time. My husband is 77. And,

yes, we all know that at this stage of life, things happen. Or … don’t happen. I can still rely on a vibrator — or that loving 77-year-old of mine. But for him? Not only is one of his

all-time favorite activities on the blink, but his ego is also hurting. We grew up in a time and culture that revered chest-pounding he-men. His cultural references land somewhere after

caveman and before metrosexual. He expects himself to perform. When originally faced with the can’t-quite-get-it-up dilemma, I researched how to handle erectile dysfunction. I asked ChatGPT,

the modern way to learn about an age-old problem. Faster than a premature ejaculation, up came several options, most of which, I’m sure, will never be considered options in our household.

Things like penile suppositories and vacuum erection devices. What has helped, and what we have incorporated into our foreplay, is oral medication. Viagra (a far more manly moniker than its

generic name: sildenafil — which sounds like an Austrian folk dance) has indeed lived up to its hype. The words “rock hard” or “long-lasting” may not figure into the equation, but those

little blue pills make it possible to access the port of entry and enjoy the ride.