Much research has been carried out into the effects of the female orgasm on a woman’s body, but very little has been explained on the impact of the male orgasm on a man’s body and how arousal leads to an orgasm. It’s widely considered that the male orgasm is more easy to achieve that a woman’s, as men receive the constant stimulation automatically whereas the female body is more complex and therefore requires different stimulation in addition to that resulting from intercourse. A man can get an erection from both psychological or physical stimulation, or a combination of the two – the result is the flow of blood to the three spongy areas that run along the length of the shaft. The skin around the penis is lose and malleable, which means that the size of the penis can increase without any difficulty. During the initial stages of arousal, the scrotum also becomes tighter so that the testicles are drawn up towards the body.
The head of the penis gets wider as the man becomes more aroused, and the blood vessels around and in the penis fill with blood – the colour of the penis and the skin around his testicles will deepen as a result of this, and the testicles grow in size by as much as 50 percent. As with the female orgasm, the heart rate and breathing quickens, and his blood pressure rises. As he gets closer to orgasm, the contractions force semen into the urethra – these contractions take place in the pelvic floor muscles, in the vas deferens (which is the tube which carries sperm from the testicles to the penis), and in the prostate gland. As the contractions quicken, semen is forced out of the penis in what is known as ejaculation. In the final stages, which is referred to as the resolution stage, the penis and testicles shrink back to their normal size, and the breathing and heart rate return to normal. Unlike with women, there is a stage after a man has climaxed where he will be physically unable to orgasm again. This varies from man to man, from a few minutes to a few hours – for some men, it may even take days. This length of time generally increases as men age.
There are a number of ways to arouse a man, from visual material and touch, to what he can hear. Most men are in agreement that a woman who simply lies back and expects him to take the lead in sex is a turn off, so the majority of men would agree that a woman who takes charge in bed and states clearly what she wants is a good way to get his attention. It also breaks down the barriers of communication between you so that you can both enjoy sex more. As with women, the triggers for arousal vary depending on the person, but there are ways in which you can improve your sex life with your partner. For example, many men are aroused from visual things, so this could be anything from what you’re wearing to films. Likewise, talking openly about sex and what you want from your partner can be great for both arousing him and also improving the communication between you both. Men and women vary when it comes to how they react to sex itself, but the triggers for enjoyable sex are often very much the same – foreplay, for example, is a great way to get you both in the mood for sex and for improving the activity itself.