Ejaculation

From Free net encyclopedia

Template:Cleanup-date Template:Unreferenced

This article is about male ejaculation. See female ejaculation for the phenomenon of emission of fluids from the genitals in females. See also religious ejaculations and ejaculation (grammar) for the speech phenomenon.

Ejaculation is the process of ejecting semen from the penis, and is usually accompanied by orgasm as a result of sexual stimulation. It may also occur spontaneously during sleep (called a nocturnal emission), due to stimulating of the prostate or, rarely, due to prostatic disease. Anejaculation is the condition of being unable to ejaculate.

Ejaculation is a reflex which usually cannot be stopped once it has started, without painful cramping. It has two phases: emission and ejaculation proper. During emission, the two ducts known as vas deferens contract to propel sperm from the epididymis (where it was stored) up to the ampullas at the top end of the vas deferens. The beginning of emission is typically experienced as a "point of no return." The sperm then passes through the ejaculatory ducts and is mixed with fluids from the seminal vesicles, the prostate, and the bulbourethral glands to form the semen or ejaculate. During ejaculation proper, the semen is ejected through the urethra with rhythmical contractions.

The force and amount of ejaculate vary widely from male to male. A normal ejaculation may contain anywhere from 2 to 15 millilitres (from half a teaspoon to a tablespoon), although 2 to 6 ml is typical. Ejaculate volume is affected by the amount of time that has passed since the previous ejaculation (i.e. the duration of ejaculatory abstinence). Larger ejaculate volumes are seen with greater durations of abstinence. Also, the duration of the stimulation leading up to the ejaculation can affect the volume. Abnormally low volume is known as hypospermia, though it is normal for the amount of ejaculate to diminish with age.

The number of sperm in an ejaculation also varies widely, depending on many factors, including the recentness of last ejaculation, the average warmth of the testicles, the degree and length of time of sexual excitement prior to ejaculation, the age, testosterone level, the nutrition -and especially hydration, and general fertility of the subject, and the total volume of seminal fluid. An unusually low sperm count, not the same as low semen volume, is known as oligospermia, and the absence of any sperm from the ejaculate is termed azoospermia.

The ejaculation reflex is caused by the sympathetic nervous system, while erection of the penis is caused by the parasympathetic nervous system. Most men experience a lag time of some half-hour or so between the ability to ejaculate consecutively. During this refractory period it is difficult or impossible to attain an erection, because the sympathetic nervous system counteracts the effects of the parasympathetic nervous system.

There are wide variations in how long sexual intercourse can last before ejaculation occurs. Studies have shown that most men can only avoid ejaculation during active thrusting for five minutes or less. A minority can ejaculate more or less at will, and delay ejaculation for an hour or longer during sexual intercourse.

When a man ejaculates before he wants to it is called premature ejaculation. If a man is unable to ejaculate in a timely manner after prolonged sexual stimulation, in spite of his desire to do so, it is called delayed ejaculation or anorgasmia. An orgasm that is not accompanied by ejaculation is known as a dry orgasm.

[edit]

Euphemisms

Because sexual topics are often an uncomfortable topic among peers, a huge variety of euphemisms and dysphemisms have been invented to describe ejaculation and semen. For a complete list of terms, see: "Sexual slang".

[edit]

Ejaculation Facts

Average volume of semen per ejaculation: 2 to 6 ml
Average number of times a man will ejaculate in his lifetime: 7,200
Average total amount of lifetime ejaculate: 17 liters or 18 quarts
Average number of calories in a teaspoon of semen: 7
Average duration of orgasm: 4 seconds
Average number of sperm cells in the ejaculate of a healthy man: 40 to 600 million
Distance sperm travels to fertilize an egg: 7.5-10 centimeters or 3-4 inches
Sperm lifespan: 2.5 months from development to ejaculation
Sperm lifespan after ejaculation: 30 seconds to 6 days depending on conditions

[edit]