The appearance of sexual desire in women is accompanied by swelling of the mammary glands and the release of lubricant. But few people know what is released in men when they are excited. The stronger sex is able to produce not only semen, but also a special lubricant that facilitates sliding during friction.
Mechanisms of male arousal
The process of sexual arousal is a complex psychological and physiological reaction. In most cases, sexual attraction begins with eye contact with the object of desire. Images of future sexual intercourse appear in a man's subconscious, which causes an erection.
Not only a real image, but also a fantasy can arouse sexual desire. This reaction may be slower. Erectile function depends on the responses of the central nervous system. A man's sexual ability is controlled by brain impulses that travel along the spinal cord.
The main emotional mechanism is one's own thoughts and images born of fantasy.
Types of erection and its mechanism:
- Reflex. This reaction occurs after stimulation of the genital organ. The reaction is physiological and often occurs within a minute of masturbation. The mechanism originates in the spinal cord. Sexual desire can also be observed in a paralyzed person with spinal cord injuries.
- Psychogenic. This is an arousal mechanism caused by fantasy and thought processes. Sexual images associated with possible sexual relations appear in a man's head. This type of erection requires a healthy nervous system, as only some patients with lower spine injuries can achieve it.
- night. It refers to uncontrolled mechanical erection, it occurs in all healthy men. The first reaction at night of sexual arousal is also observed in boys during puberty. The lack of a mechanical erection is a reason to consult a doctor and a sign of androgen deficiency and other physiological disorders.
The penis becomes hard as the penis fills with arterial blood. Men may experience discharge when they are excited. At the same time, the ischiocavernosus muscles contract, pressing on the base of the penis and blocking blood flow from it. During this period, urination is difficult.
After contractions along the epididymis, ejaculation occurs - seminal fluid is expelled from the urethra. The bladder neck also contracts, preventing the return of secretions, then the penile muscles contract sharply and rhythmically, releasing 2 to 5 ml of ejaculate.
After ejaculation, a man completely loses sexual desire and the stiffness of the genital organ disappears. In this case, for some time, erection becomes impossible and the formation of seminal fluid resumes.
A healthy man can experience a sexual response again within 10 minutes. However, this period varies and depends on the man's sexual habits and desires. Age, health and mental state play an important role.
What is precum?
When they wake up, men secrete clear mucus - this is pre-ejaculatory. Appears with or after erection. The release of such fluid helps prevent damage to the penis during vaginal penetration.
The absence of pre-ejaculate in a man may indicate a pathology of the reproductive system.
The secreted substance is often called pre-seminal fluid. There is another name - pre-seed. This lubricant is released not only before sexual intercourse, but also during light sexual arousal, during stroking and masturbation. The appearance before the ejaculate indicates the desire of a man to enter into an intimate relationship with a woman.
Where is it produced?
The secretion of lubrication in a man cannot be called a simple process. The body has special glands located in the muscles of the perineum, at the base of the penis. They are called Cooper's or bulbourethral glands.
The male organs got their name in honor of the discoverer, Cooper. They were discovered in the 17th century, but the true purpose of glandular tissue became known later.
There are also Littre glands, in which part of the pre-ejaculate is formed. They are located in the urethra (from the neck of the bladder to the external opening of the urethra). Their main task is to secrete an alkaline mucous fluid, thus increasing the volume of pre-seminal fluid. Normally, it ranges from 2-3 drops in 5 ml.
The most common reason to visit a doctor is the release of pre-sperm at the slightest sexual arousal. Such a sign can indicate a malfunction of the genitourinary system and cause problems. However, this situation can be dealt with. The andrologist prescribes therapy after proper examination.
compound
Pre-seminal fluid is a mucous secretion that contains alkali and various enzymes. Since the vaginal environment is acidic and rejects male sperm, the lubricant helps to neutralize the "aggressiveness" of the female microflora.
There is a myth that discharge from a man's urethra can cause a woman to become pregnant. Lubricant does not contain sperm, but may be present when intercourse without contraception occurs within hours of masturbation or previous intercourse.
In order to avoid unwanted pregnancy, in this case it is recommended to use a condom or other protective means.
Functions
Pre-sperm is not only a transparent lubricating fluid, but also a protective reaction of the mucous membrane. The release of pre-semen facilitates penetration of the penis into the vagina and helps ease friction if a woman does not produce enough lubrication.
Penile secretions have several important functions:
- neutralizes the increased acidity of the vaginal microflora,
- facilitates the penetration of the penis, helps the movement of sperm along the cervix,
- increase the possibility of conception,
- remove the contents of the urinary canal (urine, semen).
Sperm die quickly in an acidic environment. And it is thanks to the alkaline pre-ejaculate that they can enter the woman's genital tract unharmed and fertilize the egg. This is why male lubricant can protect the viability of sperm.
Discharge from the urethra also increases the chance of getting pregnant because the seminal fluid will quickly enter the uterus when it slips. In addition, the natural lubricant will help to avoid the use of artificial substitutes and will facilitate the penetration of the penis into the vagina if a woman does not have enough of her own secretions.
What does normal look like?
In medical terminology, urethral discharge is often called libidinal urethrorrhea. In appearance, it is the usual transparent mucosa. During sex, it is released in a volume of 1 to 5 ml. This amount is sufficient for comfortable sexual contact.
Pre-semen also contains smegma, a fatty substance that collects in the fold of the foreskin. If a man is faithful to a sexual partner or uses a condom during intercourse, then there are no additional inclusions or color changes. A slight shade of white is possible.
The reason to see a doctor
The appearance of any suspicious symptoms is a reason to consult a doctor. Such changes in the body should alarm you. If a man consults a doctor in time, the disease can be detected at an early stage, which contributes to a quick recovery.
The symptom will be a hint and a reason to check the body for the presence of infection or inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system. The doctor will prescribe a diagnostic examination and laboratory tests to identify the cause of the development of the pathological process.
Additional symptoms that will help establish the diagnosis:
- increased body temperature, fever, fever,
- feeling of pain or discomfort in the pelvic organs,
- skin rash, redness and swelling of tissues,
- purulent and bloody impurities in the discharge,
- itching and burning in the urethra,
- hyperemia in the penile area,
- other suspicious symptoms (urinary retention, erectile dysfunction).
Similar pathological processes in a man's body during excitement and during periods of rest are observed when infected with sexually transmitted diseases. If you notice one or more associated symptoms, consult your doctor immediately. Urgent antibiotic therapy may be needed.
No pre-sperm is released
Some men, after reading the article, may suspect a problem because they do not produce pre-ejaculate. This can be either a sign of normality or a sign of a pathological process.
The indicated volume (1 to 5 ml) is approximate. The amount of discharge from the urethra during awakening can vary and depends on the individual characteristics of the body. Sometimes a man does not notice the release of lubricant, as it is released after penetration into the vagina.
In 5% of cases, the absence of pre-ejaculate is a symptom of the presence of inflammatory diseases. It is recommended that you consult your doctor about a possible problem. People with disabilities and the elderly may not have urethral discharge.
Changes in color and consistency
Any splash of color should alert a man. Normally, the color of presperm is transparent, slightly white. You should also pay attention to the density. Pre-seminal fluid is thin and flows freely from the urethra during sexual arousal.
Reasons to see a doctor:
- change in smell, the appearance of an unpleasant "fishy" smell mixed with mold,
- increased discharge volume,
- the presence of blood and pus,
- change in the structure of the pre-ejaculate, thickening, the appearance of a cheese sediment,
- color change.
Gray, red, green, orange and other shades are a sign of an inflammatory or infectious process. The body reacts in this way to a viral invasion. Sometimes colored discharge is a sign of the normal rehabilitation process after prostate surgery, antibiotic therapy or other surgical interventions.
Clear sticky discharge sometimes indicates infection with infectious diseases: staphylococcus, streptococcus, E. coli. The release of bacteria is observed not only in presperm, but also in the resting state of the penis.
What can the appearance of different shades of presperm mean:
- Gray-green color. It indicates the presence of infection in the body. This is not always a sign of sexually transmitted diseases; flu or ARVI can appear in this way. As a rule, it is accompanied by an increase in body temperature.
- Thick white discharge. They talk about the development of fungal diseases, most often it is candidiasis. It is transmitted by an infected sexual partner. If a pathogen is detected, both the man and the woman should be treated.
- Red colour. Indicates the presence of blood in secretions. This symptom is typical for urological diseases (urethritis, cystitis), chronic prostatitis and a number of other diseases not related to the urinary system: hypertension, atherosclerosis.
- Yellow. This is a sign of infection with sexually transmitted diseases. Men rarely show symptoms of STDs; more often the disease appears in a latent form. When yellow discharge appears, chlamydia, ureaplasmosis, mycoplasmosis and other sexually transmitted diseases can be suspected.
- Purulent discharge. They talk about the presence of several types of infection, such as gonorrhea, syphilis and gonococcal infection. It is often accompanied by problems with urination and erectile dysfunction.
Only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis. A routine examination is not enough to identify the problem, you will have to undergo laboratory diagnostics, in some cases using ultrasound.
The key to recovery is timely consultation with a doctor.
Do not self-medicate and do not allow the disease to take its course. Sexually transmitted diseases provoke the appearance of many pathologies and can cause problems with urination, erectile dysfunction and a decrease in the body's immune defense.