The main signs of male arousal
When you get sexually aroused, the changes that happen to your body are preparing you for the sexual pleasure of an orgasm – also known as climaxing – and ejaculation (or coming).
Signs of male arousal include:
• your penis getting erect
• the skin around the testicles (scrotum) getting tighter, moving your testicles closer to your body
• swelling of your testicles
• your heart rate getting faster
• your breathing getting quicker
• having an orgasm (when your pelvic muscles and those around the base of your penis tighten)
• ejaculating (when your penis releases semen, a mixture of sperm and body fluid)
The 4 stages of male arousal
To explain what happens when someone gets sexually excited, health professionals talk about ‘the sexual response cycle’.
The sexual response cycle has 4 stages. These are:
• excitement
• plateau
• orgasm
• resolution
Different signs of arousal happen in each stage.
Stage 1: Excitement
The first stage of the sexual response cycle is when you get sexually excited about something or someone. Your brain triggers a chemical process that leads to your penis getting erect, or hardening. This happens because blood flows into your penis, causing the tissue in it to expand and harden.
During this stage, the bag of skin that holds your testicles (scrotum) also gets tighter. Your heart rate picks up and your breathing gets faster too. Your nipples may harden and the muscles throughout your body start tightening. Your penis may even release some clear liquid (preejaculate).
Stage 2: Plateau
In the second stage, all of the above changes become stronger. Your testicles grow bigger and are drawn closer to your body as the scrotum tightens even more.
Your heart rate and breathing get quicker, and your blood pressure rises.
Stage 3: Orgasm
The third stage is the climax stage, when you orgasm and ejaculate. It’s the shortest phase and usually lasts only a few seconds.
When you ejaculate, muscles in the base of your penis tighten and release (contract), and force semen (a mix of sperm and whitish liquid) out of your penis.
When you orgasm, you also feel a quick release of the muscle tension that built up in the earlier stages of the sexual response cycle.
Stage 4: Resolution
The fourth and final stage is the resolution phase.
Your penis gets smaller, going back to its usual size. Your scrotum, testicles, breathing, heart rate and blood pressure all go back to normal too. And you may feel tired.
You can’t orgasm again straight after ejaculation – you’ll need to wait a while to recover. How long you’ll need to wait varies from person to person, but in general, the older you get, the longer you need to wait.
