Your man’s equipment seems pretty straightforward – that is, until you talk to the sexual health experts. For example, creator of lovelifemd.com Edward Ratush, MD, says ‘There’s a difference between ejaculation and orgasm,’ – really? Who knew?! Here are some of the other things you never knew about the male anatomy, which can help you to give your bedroom wellbeing a major boost:
1. The Main Event: Though the penis resembles something no more complex than a Polish sausage, it’s actually very complicated. You have the the nerve-packed, helmet-shaped head or glans, and then, moving down, there’s the shaft, the bulk of which is made up of corpora cavernosa, two columns of spongy tissue that fill with blood to produce an erection. Why do you need to know this? Because the difference between the two sections means that they respond best to different kinds of touches. According to sex therapist Ian Kerner, PhD, author of He Comes Next, ‘The upper areas — near the head — respond to friction. The lower parts — nearer the base — respond to pressure.’ Tightly encircling the base of the penis during foreplay can increase pressure, which makes your man’s erection harder and delays orgasm, while adding a bit of friction at the head with your mouth or other hand will make him all-too happy to reciprocate (and do the washing up for a month!)
2. The Erection: Karen Boyle, MD, director of reproductive medicine and surgery at the Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, points out, ‘There are three kinds of erections.’ Actual contact incurs reflexogenic erections, fantasy or audiovisual stimulation bring out psychogenic ones, and night you get – funnily enough – nocturnal erections.
3. The Size: Even though the average penis is a decent 5.5 to 6.2 inches, there are things you can do to make his equipment seem bigger – which can only be good for your sexual wellness as well as his! Sexuality educator Amy Levine, founder of sexedsolutions.com, advises getting on top, tilting your pelvis in the direction that feels most pleasurable, and pushing down for greater depth. Alternately, place your feet on his chest when in missionary. This will give you a better angle for G-spot stimulation, and make your vaginal canal feel shorter.
4. The Boys: Author of The Male Biological Clock Harry Fisch, MD, director of the male reproductive centre at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Centre, claims, ‘In general, the larger a man’s testicles, the higher his testosterone level and the more sperm he’ll produce.’ However, anything the size of a walnut or more should get the job done. Still, if you’re concerned about his reproductive wellness, get him to avoid hot tubs and speedos (which no one wants to see anyway!) as too much restriction or heat can throw a spanner in the works. When it comes to pleasuring The Boys, Kerner advises, ‘It’s more about stimulating the scrotal skin than the actual testicles.’ A great way to do this is to locate the central line that runs down the middle of his scrotal sack (known as the raphe, if you’re interested) and trace it with your finger or tongue.
5. The Space Between: That smooth runway of flesh between the scrotum and the anus is known as the perineum, and is home to a small army of nerve endings. However, before you take the perineum to pleasure town, not all guys want to explore that frontier so it’s important to make sure he’s interested before you freak him out. Begin by gently cupping his testicles, and then slide your finger down, grazing the area and applying gentle upward pressure. If he doesn’t jump a mile, you can start to gradually increase pressure, and even switch from fingertips to knuckles if he’s a big fan.