How the Penis & Erections Work

The penis has two main tasks and they are to urinate and ejaculate. The penis becomes erect when the two tubes within it called the corpora cavernosa are filled with pressurised blood. These tubes are filled with blood by arteries and this then allows you to have an erection, the veins then filter the blood away from the penis and this causes the erection to go away.

Erections are only made possible because of this specialised regulation of blood flow that is within the penis. Blood is trapped by specialised tissue in the shaft of the penis this leads to extra pressure and this allows the penis to become longer and more ridged. When this blood flow to the penis is disturbed erectile dysfunction may occur. This pressurised blood can often reach up to two times the amount of pressure of the rest of your body.

Erections can also be described as a hydraulic event, which means that it is not just regulated by blood but by nerves and hormones as well. This then explains why erectile dysfunction can be caused by many different imbalances within the body.

The Causes of an Erection

The erection is triggered by sexual excitement which is caused by many factors such as erotic fantasies, memories or through the senses and direct stimulation to the penis. Erections can also occur spontaneously without any particular reason this is especially common in younger males and as you get older the risk of having these spontaneous erections does decrease.

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