Sexual Desire and Sexual Arousal
There may be discrepancies between sexual desire and arousal.
- Sexual desire may be low: The individual is "not turned on" because of a lack of activation or due to inhibition of sexual centres.
- Sexual desire may be low: But the individual has difficulty becoming aroused because of fear of consequences or pain, inappropriate or inadequate stimulation, or a poor relationship.
- Low Sexual desire and high arousal: A woman may not love her partner or desire sexual intercourse with him, but despite not feeling desire, may become aroused to orgasm with adequate physical stimulation.
Sexual arousal is a sensitive process that involves receiving and interpreting sexual cues and stimuli(a glance or touch, direct physical contact, or mental imagery). Men are easily aroused by visual stimuli. The sensations associated with vascular, muscular and neurological changes of arousal are transmitted to the brain and are perceived as intense physical pleasure, and this reinforces the response provided there are no inhibiting factors.
Sexual desire refers to fantasies and thoughts about sex, or to the `urge' to engage in sexual activity. Such experiences typically lead to sexual arousal, although it is possible that physical signs of sexual arousal may occur first and lead to subjective feelings of desire. The frequency or intensity with which an individual likes to participate in sexual activity may be referred to as the individual's sex drive. In both females and males, sexual desire is controlled to some extent by androgen hormones in the bloodstream (the hormones, including testosterone, that are responsible for male characteristics). However, environmental and psychological factors (such as thinking about one's partner, or seeing sexy underwear) are also important. In other words, desire is influenced by a willingness to engage in sex and also by biological drive. The desire for sex differs from one individual to the next, although some individuals are clearly distressed by their excessively high or low sexual desire.
Factors That Influence Sexual Arousal
Relaxation
Good Health
androgens
Security, Love, Trust
Uninhibited background
Fatigue
Depression
Disease
Disability
Drugs
Guilt
Anxiety
Stress
Lack of love
Restrictive background sexual excitement
Erection
An erection begins in the brain. Physical and/or mental stimulation causes nerves in the brain to send chemical messages to nerves in the penis telling the penis to relax so that blood can flow freely into the penis. Once in the penis, high pressure traps the blood. This causes the penis to expand, thereby creating an erection.
The penis contains two chambers called the corpora cavernosa, which run the length of the organ. A spongy tissue fills the chambers. The corpora cavernosa are surrounded by a membrane, called the tunica albuginea. The spongy tissue contains smooth muscles, fibrous tissues, spaces, veins, and arteries.
The urethra, which is the channel for urine and ejaculation, runs along the underside of the corpora cavernosa and is surrounded by the corpus spongiosum.
Impulses from the brain and local nerves cause the muscles of the corpora cavernosa to relax, allowing blood to flow in and fill the spaces. The blood creates pressure in the corpora cavernosa, making the penis expand. The tunica albuginea helps trap the blood in the corpora cavernosa, thereby sustaining erection. When muscles in the penis contract to stop the inflow of blood and open outflow channels, erection is reversed.
Ejaculation, the release of semen, is triggered when the man reaches a critical level of excitement. Ejaculation has two phases -- in the first, the vas deferens, the tubes that store and transport sperm from the testes, contract to squeeze the sperm toward the base of the penis and the prostate gland and seminal vesicles release secretions to make semen. In the second phase, muscles at the base of the penis contract every 0.8 seconds and force the semen out of the penis in up to 5 spurts.
Plateau Phase
In the plateau phase, the accumulation of blood in the genitals reaches a maximum.
The penis increases further in diameter and the colour of the penis may change to a mottled reddish-purple colour. The testes become more elevated so that they are situated tightly against the body. If the testes do not elevate sufficiently, a full ejaculatory response does not occur. The testes also increase in size, anywhere from 50-100%. Generally, the longer the individual remains in the plateau stage, the more obvious the increase in testicular size.
If stimulation continues, a man will enter the plateau phase, which varies in length, depending on the type of stimulation and his own desires. (Many individuals like to prolong this phase with extended "foreplay.") As arousal levels rise, blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate and muscle tension also increase. Increased blood flow further enlarges the penis and causes the testicles to swell to approximately 50 per cent beyond their normal size. The prostate gland becomes larger. The tiny Cowper's or Bulbourethral glands release a few drops of pre-ejaculatory fluid, a clear, slippery substance that is secreted from the tip of the penis. Note: pre-ejaculate may also contain some live sperm from a previous ejaculation and can get a woman pregnant. Many men also develop a sex flush (redness of the skin), predominantly on the chest.
Male Orgasm
What is an orgasm? An orgasm is an emotional and physical experience that occurs during a “sexual response cycle”. Before an orgasm, your body becomes increasingly excited. Breathing, heart rate and blood pressure increase.
With increasing intensity of the sexual stimulus, the reflex centres of the spinal cord begin to emit impulses that leave the cord to the genitals and initiate emission, which is the forerunner of ejaculation. Fluid from the vas deferens, the prostate, the ampulla, and the seminal vesicles (and even more tiny glands) are propelled into the internal urethra by contractions of the groin muscles*. The filling of the internal urethra elicits signals that are transmitted through the pudendal nerves from the spinal cord. Increases in pressure in the urethra cause the semen to be propelled to the exterior, resulting in ejaculation! The period of emission and ejaculation is termed male orgasm. After ejaculation erection ceases within 1 to 2 minutes in most males.
The male orgasm is not just about ejaculation. It is possible to have an orgasm without ejaculation. # Pre-adolescent boys can often experience an orgasm without ejaculation.
# Some men do not have an ejaculation until several seconds after orgasm.
# Other men who are incapable of ejaculation are still capable of orgasm.
# Adult males may experience several ejaculations and go on to have further orgasms without ejaculation.
Although many experiences have common ground there are differences too between the male and female orgasm.
The female orgasm has the effect of sucking sperm towards the female's egg,(the ovum) in the fallopian tube.
Women can often experience an orgasm for a longer period of time than a man.
Women are, in general, more capable of rapidly returning to orgasm immediately after an orgasmic experience.