What makes erections come and go?

There are five steps involved in making erections come and go.

1. Step 1. First you need sexual stimulation. This may be in the form of sexual thoughts, or a sexual activity that stimulates the head of your penis.
2. Step 2. Next comes sexual arousal. When you feel aroused or 'turned on', erection-causing chemicals in the nerves and blood vessels in your penis tell the erection process to begin.
3. Step 3. When your erection begins, your penis fills with blood and becomes firm and erect.
4. Step 4. Next, the blood inside the penis is trapped so that you can keep your erection.
5. Step 5. The final step occurs when the erection-causing chemicals are shut off, allowing the trapped blood to flow out of your penis and back into your body. This allows your erection to go down.

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Patient case study

See how others manage their erection problems