QUESTION
Lately I've been having problems getting an erection while wearing a condom. Because of this I’ve been tempted to top a guy bare. How can I fix this before I end up in a risky situation?

ANSWER
It sounds like you might be putting a lot of pressure on yourself to top. Are there other ways you can still get off with someone while being safe? Consider asking yourself why all of a sudden you are “not feeling it.” Sometimes when we're mentally stressed or depressed, our dicks work (or don’t work) differently.

Another idea is to practice jacking off with a condom to make it easier to get hard when you're wearing a condom with a partner. You may also want to see a doctor to talk about other things that could be make it difficult to get hard, such as medications. Anti-depressants often have sexual side effects that can lower the chances of getting and staying hard. Other things that can make getting or sustaining erections difficult include poor blood flow to the penis.

Barebacking is a high risk activity for getting and spreading HIV and other STDs. The only sure way to protect yourself during anal sex is by using condoms correctly and consistently.

To your health,
Dr. K