How the Penis Works: Erection and Ejaculation
Whether you have one or not, you probably think you know everything there is to know about penises and erectile dysfunction, many of whom don’t understand how or why it happens.
10 Surprising Facts About Erections
1. Most men with ED don’t actually have ED. Older men are more likely to suffer from erectile dissatisfaction than erectile dysfunction. This means that getting and keeping an erection has become more difficult and is more frustrating than it once was, but it’s not impossible.
2. Penises are fragile. Yes, you can break your penis. It’s not like a broken bone, though — instead, the blood vessels within the penis burst, causing painful swelling. According to the UK’s National Health Service, one-third of penile fracture cases are attributed to sexual intercourse where the partner is on top.
3. Erections happen early. Like in the womb, early. Male fetuses can experience erections in the womb.
4. Medications for ED don’t always work. Drugs designed to help men with ED regain a healthy sex life only work in about two-thirds of cases. Also, Psychology Today reports that some men need increasingly larger doses, which come with increasingly intense side effects.
5. Shorter penises make bigger erections. Research shows that men with shorter penises experience erections that increase penis size by 86 percent. For longer penises, the growth is more like 47 percent.
6. The average erection is 5.6 inches long. A 2013 study attempted to settle penis size once and for all. The findings: The average erect penis is just shy of 5.6 inches. The data came directly from study participants, who self-measured, so there is the question of how many exaggerated.
7. The world’s largest erection is 13.5 inches. Jonah Falcon is said to have the world’s largest penis that, when erect, is well over 1 foot long. When flaccid, it measures 9.5 inches.
8. ED can signal a serious health problem. Sometimes, sexual problems are a sign of bigger issues. According to the Mayo Clinic, ED can be caused by heart disease, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, high cholesterol, and more.
9. Erections aren’t required for orgasm. Yes, men who can’t achieve erections may still have orgasms.
11. Men have between three to five erections per night. Every night while you’re sleeping, your penis is hard at work. The average man experiences up to five erections while they sleep, each lasting about 30 minutes.
Anatomy of a Penis
The penis is the male sexual organ.
The shaft is the longest part of it. The head or glans is at the end of the shaft. The opening at the tip of the head, where urine and semen come out, is called the meatus.
Inside, two cylinder-shaped chambers called the corpora cavernosa run the length of the penis. They have a maze of blood vessels, tissue, and open pockets.
The urethra, the tube that urine and semen flow through, runs along the underside of them, in the spongy tissue of the corpus spongiosum.
Two main arteries (one in each of the corpora cavernosa) and several veins move blood in and out. Nerves relay messages to and from other parts of your body.
What Is an Erection?
An erection starts in your brain. Something you saw, felt, smelled, heard, or thought makes your nerves send chemical messages to the blood vessels in your penis. The arteries relax and open up to let more blood to flow in; at the same time, the veins close up. Once blood is in the penis, pressure traps it within the corpora cavernosa. Your penis expands and holds the erection.
When the inflow of blood stops and the veins open, your penis becomes soft.
What Is Ejaculation?
When you’re aroused, tubes called the vas deferens squeeze sperm from the testes toward the back of the urethra. The seminal vesicles also release fluid there.
The urethra senses the sperm and fluid mixture. Then, at the height of sexual excitement, it sends signals to your spinal cord, which in turn sends signals to the muscles at the base of your penis. These contract powerfully and quickly, every 0.8 seconds. This forces the semen out of the penis as you climax.
