Better understanding erection

When we talk about erections, you may notice that your penis can sometimes act unpredictably. For example, during sex with someone you care about, you may have trouble maintaining an erection, while the next day, during a business meeting, your penis may suddenly stand up in your pants. This unpredictability can be very frustrating, which is why it is understandable that you may wonder how long the average penis can stay erect.

To better understand how your erections are working or not working the way you always want them to, we spoke with a urologist who gave us answers on the average erection duration and what can inhibit your erections, what to do if your erection lasts longer than four hours, and how to reduce your refractory period between intercourse.

How long does an erection last on average?

Erections can last anywhere from a few minutes to about half an hour under normal circumstances. PDE5 inhibitors, such as Viagra or Cialis, can make an erection last longer in some men in addition to making it firmer.

Studies have shown that a “normal” man will ejaculate within three to seven minutes with continuous stimulation, so if a man wants to last longer, he needs to change up the stimulation by changing positions or taking a break.

Typically, erections fade after ejaculation when a man enters what is called the “refractory period” or the inability to achieve an erection directly after ejaculation.

What are the factors that can reduce the duration of your erection?

The main factors that affect getting and maintaining an erection are diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, and smoking. These things accelerate the aging of the tiny blood vessels in the penis.

There is also excessive alcohol consumption, certain medications and drug use that can impair your erections.

Why can you lose your erection during sexual intercourse?

This is often due to mental factors such as anxiety, depression, and stress. The term for young, healthy men who cannot maintain or achieve an erection is called psychogenic erectile dysfunction . These types of patients also need to be accompanied by a psychiatrist or psychologist to address the erectile problem.

Other underlying physical problems can also block erections such as diabetes or high blood pressure, low testosterone levels or injuries, particularly to the nervous system.

But by far the most common cause of losing your erection during sex when you had a nice hard cock at attention is a change in arousal level. If your partner is lying on the floor during sex, be honest with her. Tell her that you want more interaction from her, for example.

Mutual masturbation can also be a good option.

What are some ways to increase the duration of your erections?

Probably the most important thing a man can do to help his erections is to stay healthy: exercise regularly, watch your diet, not smoke, and control your alcohol consumption.

Why do you lose your erection after ejaculating?

It has to do with how the nervous system works. It’s a complicated system that scientists still don’t know everything about. We know that when the parasympathetic nervous system is aroused and activated during sexual arousal, nitric oxide is released, which dilates the blood vessels to the penis, allowing for increased blood flow and erection. After intercourse or arousal, the sympathetic nervous system is activated, causing seminal emission (ejaculation); this results in blood flow returning out of the penis, causing the penis to detumesce (become soft).

What are some ways to reduce your refractory period?

As we age, the refractory period increases, meaning it takes longer to get hard again after ejaculation. A person in their early 20s may have a refractory period of 10 to 15 minutes, while a person in their 60s may have to wait 12 to 24 hours before they can have another erection. PDE5 inhibitors like Viagra and Cialis are known to shorten the refractory period.

What happens if you have an erection that lasts too long?

Priapism (the medical term for a prolonged erection of the penis) is a medical emergency that requires urgent attention. You should go to the emergency room or contact your doctor immediately if you have an erection that lasts longer than four hours. Priapism can occur after taking medications such as Viagra or can sometimes be the result of side effects of antidepressants or antipsychotic medications.

How do doctors treat priapism?

Erections that last much longer than four hours can cause permanent scarring and erectile dysfunction in addition to being very painful. Typically, treatment involves injecting medication directly into the penis to reverse the effects of the erection. And in rarer cases, surgery must be performed to divert blood flow away from the penis.