That Penis Question

I'm waching Anatomy of Sex on the Discovery Channel right now. They made a really interesting comment: Contrary to common intuition, the limp penis is actually full of tense muscle. Think about that for a moment. Think about what you know about how an erection works.

A man gets an erection when blood flows into the penis, filling the cavernosa. This is why sometimes a man will get an erection after a heavy dinner that requires more blood flow to digest: Some of that blood will miss the offramp at the stomach, and keep going south.

What do you know about how viagra works? It mimics the effect of nitric oxide, which allows more blood to flow into the vessels in the penis. It relaxes muscles, which pinch down on the blood vessels. So, essentially, what's going on is that, if you're tense, you can't get it up because your penile muscles are clamping down on the vessels that allow for an erection. Tension can also be caused by psychological issues, which in any case imply a diversion of blood from the penis and back to the brain. See how that works?

But what really caught my attention about what one of the researchers on the program said was that essentially, a smaller limp penis can imply a larger erect penis. So, what's that say about Asian guys? :OD

But anyway, if you have problems achieving or maintaining erection, and you've ruled out physiological causes, think about relaxing. Seriously. If you're on vacation, put that cell phone or pager or laptop away! You'll thank me for it.

[Cross-posted at Between Worlds]