Women's nipples become erect when they are breastfeeding (giving milk to their babies from their breasts). The nipples of men and women can also become erect. This causes the clitoris and other parts of the woman's sex organs to become larger, harder, redder in colour, and very sensitive to being touched. The clitoris also has a corpora cavernosa, and when a woman is sexually excited this part of the clitoris fill with blood. This happens in a similar way to an erection of the penis. Like a man's penis, a woman's clitoris can also become erect. A lot of people also believe that men with bigger penises are better at making their partners feel good when they are having sex. Men with larger penises are often thought to be more handsome, manly and powerful. Today, erect penises do not often appear in artworks or movies because many people think that showing a man's penis when it is erect is obscene (not decent). Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans believed in gods that had erect penises. In the past, the erect penis was also a symbol or sign of health and fertility (the ability to give life). Pictures of men with erections appear on ancient objects and in paintings. The vase, which is in the National Etruscan Museum in Rome, Italy, was from the Etruscan civilization (about 1200–100 B.C.).Įrect penises have appeared in erotic (sexually exciting) art for a very long time. Part of a Greek vase which shows the second man from the left having an erection. The time period during which an erection cannot be repeated following ejaculation is called the refractory period. An erection will usually not be possible immediately following ejaculation, although adolescent males may be able to achieve erections immediately following ejaculation. A man's erection usually stops if he is no longer sexually aroused, or after he has had an orgasm and has ejaculated. Tissues in the penis called the corpus spongiosum penis and corpora cavernosa penis fill with blood, causing the penis to become longer, thicker, harder and to stand upright. This happens to all healthy adult males of all ages. Erections happen several times during the night. Most boy teenagers have unexpected erections. Erections can also occur without thinking about sex or being touched. This can happen if he is touched sexually, or even if he is not touched – for example, if he sees a naked person or thinks about having sex with someone else. In a healthy male, an erection will usually occur if the man is sexually aroused (made sexually excited) or stimulated.
It is widely believed that a man's penis needs to be erect in order for him to take part in sexual intercourse and penetrate his partner's vagina and to ejaculate semen, but all are possible without an erection. The term erection is most often used to refer to an erection of the penis. An erection (pronounced ee- REK-shən) of a body part such as a man's penis, a woman's clitoris or a nipple refers to it becoming larger and harder.