Sexual arousal is the process and state of an animal being ready for sexual activity. Human sexual arousalUnlike most other animals, human beings of both sexes are potentially capable of sexual arousal throughout the year, therefore, there is no human mating season. Things that precipitate human sexual arousal are colloquially known as turn-ons. Turn-ons may be physical or mental in nature. Given the right stimulation, sexual arousal in humans will typically end in an orgasm, but may be pursued for its own sake, even in the absence of an orgasm.
Causes of human sexual arousal
See also: Sexual attraction
The causes of human sexual arousal are sundry and, by nature, subjective, always arising from natural urges but otherwise spanning the scope of human or cultural desires from love and mere attraction to the obscure.
Signs of possible human sexual arousal
Female sexual arousal:
Increase in breast size
Vaginal lubrication
Vasocongestion of the vaginal walls
Clitoral tumescence and erection
More visible venous patterns across the breasts
Elevation of the uterus and stretching of the vagina
Change in shape, color and size of the labia majora and labia minora
Male sexual arousal:
Penile tumescence and erection (usually the most prominent and reliable sign of sexual arousal in males; however, adolescent males experience frequent 'non-sexual' erections stemming from their high level of testosterone.)
Retraction and tightening of the foreskin if present, often exposing the glans penis if not normally exposed (though this is not always the case)
Emission of pre-ejaculatory fluid
Swelling of the testes
Ascension of the testes
Tensing and thickening of the scrotum
Human sexual response cycle
During the 1950s and 1960s, William H. Masters and Virginia E. Johnson conducted many important studies within the field of human sexuality. In 1966, the two released a book, Human Sexual Response, detailing four stages of physiological changes in humans during sexual stimulation. These phases, in order of their occurrence, are excitement, plateau, orgasmic, and resolution.
See human sexual response cycle.
Genital procedures and sexual arousal
One study suggested that a circumcised male cannot arouse some females as well as an uncircumcised male can[1].
Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction (ED) or impotence is a sexual dysfunction characterized by the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis for satisfactory sexual intercourse regardless of the capability of ejaculation. There are various underlying causes, such as damage to the sigmoid mesocolon nerves which prevents or delays erection, or diabetes, which simply decreases blood flow to the tissue in the penis, many of which are medically reversible.
The causes of erectile dysfunction may be physiological or psychological. Psychological impotence can often be helped by almost anything that the patient believes in; there is a very strong placebo effect. Physiological damage is much more severe. One leading physical cause of ED is continual or severe damage taken to the sigmoid mesocolon nerves. These nerves are located directly behind the upper portion of the kidneys. Continual pressure or painful strikes to the area can affect the ability to achieve erection.
In the 1920's, Dr. Howard Fitz, a famous surgeon, conducted a series of experiment in which he applied pressure and series of electric shocks to the sigmoid mesocolon nerve of his patients. After a few weeks many of his patients reported back that they were having trouble obtaining an erection. It has been said that damage to this nerve can cause permanent ED. This experiment would not be able to be conducted today as it is ruled unethical.
Due to its embarrassing nature and the shame felt by sufferers, the subject was taboo for a long time, and is the subject of many urban legends. Folk remedies have long been advocated, with some being advertised widely since the 1930s. The introduction of perhaps the first pharmacologically effective remedy for impotence, sildenafil (trade name Viagra), in the 1990s caused a wave of public attention, propelled in part by the news-worthiness of stories about it and heavy advertising.
The Latin term impotentia coeundi describes simple inability to insert the penis into the vagina. It is now mostly replaced by more precise terms. Sexual arousal in animalsIt is not completely understood how other animals relate sexually, but current research studies suggest that animals, like humans, enjoy sexual relations. This is especially noted in dogs, dolphins, and bonobos. See alsoSexual attraction
Sexual desire
Sexual frustration
Sexual arousal disorder
Persistent sexual arousal syndrome
Impotence
Frigidity
Human sexuality
Kinsey report
Sexual orientation
Hypersexuality
Sexual intercourse
Sexual slang
