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Ejaculation
Ejaculation
is the release of semen from the penis. It is a normal part of the male
sexual response cycle. During sexual intercourse or masturbation, semen
collects in the ejaculatory ducts, which are located where the ends of
the vas deferentia join the seminal vesicles within the prostate gland.
When excitation reaches its peak, a spinal reflex causes the rhythmic
contractions of the smooth muscles within the urethra, penis and the
prostate gland, and propels the semen through the urethra out the tip of
the penis in spurts. Once a man reaches a certain point of sexual
arousal, he can no longer prevent ejaculation. This feeling of having
reached the brink of control once these contractions start is known as
ejaculatory inevitability.
The
rhythmic contractions of the prostate, perineal muscles and shaft of the
penis occur initially at 0.8-second intervals, just as in women, and
account for the spurting action of the semen during ejaculation. The
intervals between contractions become longer and the intensity of the
contractions tapers off after the first three or four contractions.
The
semen does not actually appear until a few seconds after the point of
ejaculatory inevitability because of the distance the seminal fluid has
to travel through the urethra. During ejaculation, the internal
sphincter of the urinary bladder is tightly sealed to make sure that the
seminal fluid travels forward and to prevent any urine from mixing with
the semen.
Male
ejaculation and orgasm are not one and the same process, although in
most men and under most circumstances the two occur simultaneously.
Orgasm refers specifically to the sudden and rhythmic muscular
contractions in the pelvic region that release accumulated sexual
tension and result in an intensely pleasurable
sensation.
Sometimes
ejaculation occurs involuntarily and unbeknownst to the man during
sleep. This is known as nocturnal emission or, in slang terms as a
"wet dream" and is particularly common in adolescents and
young men.
In
some cases, the fine-tuned process of ejaculation is disrupted. In a
condition called retrograde ejaculation the bladder's sphincter does not
close off properly during ejaculation, so semen spurts backward into the
bladder. This condition is usually found in some men who have multiple
sclerosis, diabetes, or after some types of prostate surgery. It can
also occasionally occur in men who do not have any serious problems. It
is not physically harmful, but it does render the man infertile and he
may have a different sensation during ejaculation. A retrograde
ejaculation is also known as a "dry come" because the man may
experience orgasm, but no semen is released from the penis.
Premature
ejaculation, or rapid ejaculation, is a sexual response problem in which
a man consistently feels he has little or no control over the timing of
his buildup to ejaculation. Click
here for a more complete explanation of premature ejaculation .
Retarded
ejaculation, or delayed ejaculation, is a sexual response problem also
known as ejaculatory incompetence in which a man is unable to ejaculate
even though he is highly sexually aroused.
Finally,
the subject of female ejaculation has sparked controversy among
sexuality researchers. There is a body of research documenting that some
women expel a fluid from the urethra at the time of orgasm through G-spot
stimulation. It has been theorized that this fluid may come from a
"female prostate," rudimentary glands surrounding the urethra
whose tissue corresponds to the male prostate gland. In fact, some
suggest that the female prostate is the anatomical location of the
G-spot. Not all researchers have been able to duplicate the female
ejaculatory response in their studies, but among those who have, the
composition of the ejaculate is subject to debate. Some researchers have
demonstrated that the fluid emitted is not urine and does not contain
any significant amount of urine. Others assert that the fluid is urine.
Not all women experience the ejaculation-like response (estimates vary
between 10 percent and 40 percent as to the number of women who have
ever experienced ejaculation), but for those who do, it is perfectly
normal.
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