Sexual arousal

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Cite This Source

"Turn on" redirects here. For the late 1960s TV series, see Turn-On.

Sexual arousal is the process and state of an animal being ready for sexual activity and feeling an urge for sexual contact.

Human sexual arousal

For a male, blood flows to the penis to produce an erection, while the female's vagina becomes lubricated in preparation for sexual intercourse. Unlike most 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.

Signs of possible human sexual arousal

Sexual arousal causes different physical changes. These imply possible human sexual arousal.

Sexual arousal in females:

Increase in breast size
Erection of nipples
Vaginal lubrication
Vasocongestion of the vaginal walls
Tumescence and erection of the clitoris and labia
Elevation of the cervix and uterus, and expansion of the back of the vagina
Change in shape, color and size of the labia majora and labia minora

Sexual arousal in males:

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, often exposing the glans penis if not normally exposed (only if the particular male is not circumcised)
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.

Singer's model of sexual arousal

Singer presents a model of the process of sexual arousal, in which he conceptualized human sexual response to be composed of three independent but generally sequential components. The first stage, aesthetic response, is an emotional reaction to noticing an attractive face or figure. This emotional reaction produces an increase in attention toward the object of attraction, typically involving head and eye movements toward the attractive object. The second stage, approach response, progresses from the first and involves bodily movements towards the object. The final genital response stage recognizes that with both attention and closer proximity, physical reactions result in genital tumescence. Singer also notes that there is an array of other autonomic responses, but acknowledges that the research literature suggests that the genital response is the most reliable and convenient to measure in males.

Erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) or impotence is a sexual dysfunction characterized by the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis. There are various underlying causes, such as damage to the nervi erigentes 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 psychological or physical. Psychological impotence can often be helped by almost anything that the patient believes in; there is a very strong placebo effect. Physical damage is much more severe. One leading physical cause of ED is continual or severe damage taken to the nervi erigentes. These nerves course beside the prostate arrising from the sacral plexus and can be damaged in prostatic and colo-rectal surgeries.

In the 1920's, Dr. Howard Flitz, a famous surgeon ^{[citation needed]}, conducted a series of experiments 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 coeundiae describes simple inability to insert the penis into the vagina. It is now mostly replaced by more precise terms.

Sexual arousal in animals

While human sexuality is well understood, scientists do not completely grasp how other animals relate sexually. However, current research studies suggest that many animals, like humans, enjoy sexual relations that are not limited to reproduction. Dolphins, for example, are known to use sex as a "social tool to strengthen and maintain bonds.

References

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia © 2001-2006 Wikipedia contributors (Disclaimer)
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Tuesday March 11, 2008 at 21:55:21 PDT (GMT -0700)
View this article at Wikipedia.org - Edit this article at Wikipedia.org - Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation