Q: I am 48 years old. I have been married for 21 years and have two children. I have always felt sexually starved as my wife has very little sexual interest. Currently I find myself wanting sex almost every day, but I happen to have sex only once a month. That too is possible after a lot of persuasion. I therefore masturbate everyday and think of sex all the time. My wife had an extra marital affair during the first 4 years of our marriage, which affected me mentally. After that I suffered from hyperthyroidism and had to undergo radioiodine treatment. Currently I am under antithyroid drug treatment but of a very low strength. Is my sexual drive normal? Is this connected with hyperthyroidism? Is it alright to masturbate everyday? How do I satisfy myself sexually?

A:There is absolutely nothing wrong with your desire to have sex more frequently. It does not seem to have any relation with your thyroid condition. It is perfectly alright to masturbate even daily. There is obviously an issue of marital harmony (or lack of it) in your case. Both of you should talk about it in a cordial manner. While it is true that sex drive can vary from person to person due to a variety of factors, in your case, there seems to be some communication problems between you and your wife. If these don't get resolved by mutual discussions, we suggest both of you meet a sex and marriage counsellor and seek help.