In men, ejaculation is the final part of orgasm and takes place after adequate stimulation of the erogenous zones and the sexual organs.
The emission of the sperm (ie the seminal fluid mixed with the spermatozoa) is under nervous control. The sympathetic nervous system takes care of the ejaculation, through the so-called pudendal nerve.
The volume of semen and the quantity of spermatozoa released with the seminal fluid vary according to a number of different factors (for example, the time between two ejaculations, etc.).
A very similar argument also applies to the refractory period, ie the time that must pass before you can have "another ejaculation.
Ejaculation is not always optimal: the disorders that concern it are various and will be briefly illustrated in the rest of the article.
For men, ejaculation represents the final part of the orgasm, orgasm which is the maximum expression of sexual arousal resulting from the stimulation of the erogenous zones and the sexual organs.
Except in special cases (for example, subjects undergoing vasectomy), the seminal fluid expelled during ejaculation contains numerous spermatozoa. The seminal fluid containing spermatozoa takes the specific name of sperm.
BRIEF ANATOMICAL REVIEW OF THE MALE GENITAL SYSTEM
The fundamental elements of the male genital system are:
- The testicles or didymes. Contained in the scrotum, are the male gonads. Their job is to produce sperm and the important hormone testosterone.
- The prostate and seminal vesicles. The prostate is the gland that produces seminal fluid. The seminal fluid, in addition to collecting the spermatozoa (sperm), also provides for their nutrition.
Two in number, the seminal vesicles produce a liquid similar to seminal fluid. - The epididymis and the vas deferens of each testicle. The epididymis and the vas deferens are the channels that join the testes to the seminal vesicles and the prostate and enter the sperm into the latter.
- The urethra. The urethra is a small channel that begins at the level of the bladder, runs through the entire penis and serves for the expulsion of urine and sperm. The expulsion of urine and sperm occurs through the urinary meatus, located on the glans penis.
- The penis. The penis is the anatomical structure responsible for the elimination of urine and the passage of sperm from man to woman.
of the penis, ejaculation occurs at the end of an adequate sexual stimulation.
The sympathetic nervous system controls the release of sperm from the penis.
The latter, in fact, by means of the so-called pudendal nerve, stimulates the bulbospongiosus and pubococcygeus muscles to perform rhythmic contractions, capable of moving the sperm along the urethra, up to the urinary meatus positioned on the glans.
Generally, the contractions that characterize a classic ejaculation are 10 or a little more: the former are clearly more perceptible than the terminal ones and also coincide with a greater emission of sperm (NB: very often, the man does not even notice terminal contractions) .
If before the beginning of the contractions the man is able to control the sperm emission more or less effectively, after the first contraction the ejaculation takes on the shape of an involuntary process. In other words, from after the first contraction, it is impossible to voluntarily stop ejaculation.
The contractions that lead to the release of the sperm have a total duration of a few seconds.
Several men experience additional contractions even after the orgasm is over.
WHAT IS PRE-EJACULATORY FLUID?
Prolonged sexual stimulation results in the production of a liquid, known as pre-ejaculatory fluid. At the time of its production, the pre-ejaculatory fluid does not possess spermatozoa; however, it could contain them at the moment of its emission through the urinary meatus, as it collects the residues of semen that have stopped along the urethra during a previous ejaculation.
REFRACTORY PERIOD
The length of time between the end of an "ejaculation and the possibility of having" another erection and possibly another "ejaculation is called the refractory period.
In other words, the refractory period is that post-orgasm phase, in which the man is unable to have another ejaculation.
During the refractory period, men feel a pleasant sensation of relaxation.
The duration of the refractory period is variable and depends on several factors.Among these factors there is certainly age: for an 18-year-old subject, the refractory period is about 15 minutes; while for an elderly man, it is at least 20 minutes.
However, it should be noted that there are exceptions, i.e. elderly individuals with a refractory period equal to that of an 18-year-old.
Curiously, there are men capable of having multiple orgasms, that is organisms between which there is a minimum refractory period (10 seconds) if not zero.
VOLUME
The volume of seminal fluid (regardless of whether it contains sperm or not) varies from man to man and can range from 0.1 milliliters to even 10 milliliters.
In adult men, the amount of seminal fluid emitted during an "ejaculation (or ejaculate) depends primarily on how much time has elapsed since" the previous ejaculation: the longer the time between two consecutive ejaculations, the more conspicuous the volume of seminal fluid emitted ( NB: c "is clearly a physiological limit.) This means that, after long periods of abstinence, the amount of ejaculate is generally high.
Another factor that can affect the amount of seminal fluid emitted at the time of ejaculation is the duration of sexual stimulation: a long-lasting sexual stimulation reduces the volume of the ejaculate (but it determines, as you will remember, the production of the fluid pre-ejaculatory).
More than 40% of the seminal fluid emitted during an ejaculation comes out between the first and second contraction induced by the pudendal nerve and involving the bulbospongiosus and pubococcygeus muscles.
With the following contractions, the volume of the ejaculate tends to gradually decrease.
QUALITY
By quality of an ejaculation, experts mean the concentration of spermatozoa present in the seminal fluid.
The quality of an ejaculate depends on several factors, including:
- The time elapsed since the last ejaculation. The longer between two consecutive ejaculations, the higher the sperm concentration of the second ejaculation.
Conversely, if a short time elapses between two consecutive ejaculations, the seminal fluid of the second ejaculation will contain a reduced number of spermatozoa. - Age. In a healthy young adult, the sperm concentration of the ejaculate is higher than that of a healthy, middle-aged or older adult.
Young people just after puberty are a separate case, as the sperm production mechanism is not yet fully formed in these individuals. - Stress levels. Stress affects the production of sperm by the testicles, so the ejaculate is affected.
- Testosterone levels. The higher the testosterone production, the higher the sperm production by the testes.
- The duration of sexual stimulation. Typically, prolonged sexual stimulation ends with the release of an ejaculate rich in sperm (more than there would be following short-term sexual stimulation).
The volume of the first ejaculate is usually very small, less than one milliliter, and remains so for at least three months (from the first ejaculation).
The first ejaculations determine the production of a seminal fluid of a particularly light color, with a gelatinous appearance and poor in spermatozoa.
On the sperm concentration of the first ejaculations, experts report that:
- About 90% of the first ejaculations are sperm-free.
- In those few ejaculations containing spermatozoa, these are almost always (97% of cases) static, with no motility.
As pubertal development proceeds, the sperm concentration increases.
Over time and after several ejaculations, the consistency of the seminal fluid also varies, which from gelatinous becomes much more fluid.
Generally, assuming that the first ejaculation took place during puberty, the seminal fluid of a young man assumes the characteristics of the seminal fluid of an adult after about 24 months from the first ejaculate emission.
EJACULATION EARLY
Premature ejaculation is that ejaculatory disorder that leads the man to reach orgasm in a short period of time and after a fleeting sexual stimulation.
All this derives from the inability, on the part of those affected, to dominate their own ejaculatory reflex.
According to some scientific studies, the origin of premature ejaculation could be an intertwining of emotional factors (stress, anxiety, fatigue, etc.) and / or physical organic factors (alcoholism, short frenulum, erectile dysfunction, urethritis, etc.). Premature ejaculation is, for men, a cause of discomfort and low self-esteem, as it does not allow them to sexually satisfy their partner.
DELAYED EJACULATION
Delayed ejaculation is when the ejaculatory reflex sets in too late or does not set in at all. In other words, delayed ejaculation is comparable to a postponement of orgasm.
At the origin of delayed ejaculation there may be organic factors - including diabetes, hypothyroidism, Parkinson's disease, the use of narcotics, antidepressants and neuroleptics and the intake of cannabinoids - and psychological factors - such as for example anxiety.
RETROGADA EJACULATION
Retrograde ejaculation is the medical term that describes that "ejaculatory anomaly characterized by the introduction of" ejaculate into the bladder, rather than in the direction of the urinary meatus.
In other words, during an act of retrograde ejaculation, the sperm flows in the opposite direction to normal and ends its run in the bladder.
The origin of retrograde ejaculation is most likely a malfunction of the mechanism that closes the mouth of the bladder when the ejaculate is released.
Retrograde ejaculation is a problem that mainly affects diabetics (there is a link with diabetic neuropathy), men with prostate dysfunction, men with particular autonomic nervous system deficits and some individuals undergoing TURP or endoscopic resection trans-urethral prostatic (in this case, retrograde ejaculation is a surgical complication).
PAINFUL EJACULATION
Experts speak of painful ejaculation when a man, at the moment of sperm emission, feels a burning sensation or pain in the perineum, urethra of the penis (penile urethra), balano-meatal area, pelvis and / or testicles.
Generally, at the origin of a painful ejaculation there are inflammations or infections in the organs involved in the ejaculation or in the surrounding organs.
Prostatitis and urethritis are among the most common causes of painful ejaculation.
ANEIACULATION
Anejaculation is the medical term for the absence of ejaculation or the absence of the ability to ejaculate.
Those suffering from anejaculation can reach orgasm, but do not emit seminal fluid.
The causes of anejaculation can be organic (diabetes, mechanical occlusions of the ejaculatory ducts, prostate diseases, etc.) or psychological (performance anxiety, fear of conception, etc.).
