Ejaculation
The physical expulsion of semen, which for most males carries sperm, via the urethra and out through the meatus is called ejaculation. This process doesn’t have to be voluntary nor is an erection required for ejaculation to occur. Physical stimulation of the dick is also not necessary, as some males are able to achieve a hands-free ejaculation and orgasm.The release of semen is not always accompanied by an orgasm, which is the rhythmic release of semen, controlled by the spinal cord (nerves S2-4, to be precise), and generated by the bulbospongiosus muscle. This process usually lasts several seconds with possible noticeable vibrations and other muscle contractions through the entire body.
The product of a healthy male ejaculation—semen— is usually milky white to grayish in color, with differing levels of volume, thickness and consistency, all depending on age, stress level, time between prior ejaculations and testosterone levels.
Many males experience their first ejaculation in puberty during sleep, sometimes called nocturnal emissions or “wet dreams”. However, this nighttime activity can happen at any age either as a method of physically releasing semen that has “backed up” or in response to sexually arousing dreams.
There is no normal, or abnormal, amount of this substance. Every male’s body is different, with some producing copious amounts of pre-cum, and others producing almost none. Unlike in actual ejaculation, sperm are scarce within the strands of this almost clear, sticky substance, except in rare cases where sperm from an earlier release lingers within the urethra. Infectious agents, including HIV often can be found within pre-cum.
Orgasms, unlike ejaculations, produce an intense physical reaction in males, almost to the point of euphoria. In some, the process can last between 10-15 seconds, in others as long as 30. During this time period, the rectum, prostate and sphincter will contract, along with the muscles inside of the penis. The final process is the releasing of sperm from the testes and seminal fluid from the prostate along the inside of the shaft until finally exploding from the penis bulb in dramatic fashion or subtle ooze.
SPERM, AT A GLANCE
1. An average healthy male will produce 3.4 milliliters of spunk per orgasm, or about a teaspoon worth. Some special guys have produced as much as 4.99 milliliters, and others as low as 2.3.
2. Even though some companies have marketed dietary supplements to increase sperm volume, they’ve neither been regulated by the Food and Drug Administration nor scientifically substantiated.
3. Semen can carry many sexually transmitted diseases including HIV, as you know, but also…the Ebola virus.
4. A dude with an undetectable viral load usually, but not always, has a lower seminal viral load than in his blood.
5. We are choosing our words very carefully here. Scientists have been reluctant to state that one cannot contract HIV from swallowing sperm, even though their data shows it’s not only extremely unlikely but also have not produced a single reliable case from only oral sex transmission. They will admit that it is difficult to find oral sex as a sole cause of infection because very few people only engage in oral as a sexual activity. And it’s well known that people are not always truthful about their sexual activities. The party line is “oral sex carries a very low risk for HIV transmission”.
6. One more time on swallowing versus spitting. “There are components in saliva that deactivate the virus and stomach acids would certainly destroy any virus that landed there,” says Dr. Robert Frascino of The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation, and other members of the medical community. See this link, because I know you still won’t believe us.
7. But, it can be a conduit for HPV, which may increase your risk of throat and oral cancer. So get that vaccine.
8. If you are falling short on your daily intake of zinc, potassium, calcium and the ever important B12, semen has you covered.
9. Feeling blue? Spunk has been found to contain endorphins, oxytocin, estrone, serotonin and other “mood elevating compounds” similar to antidepressants.
10. On a diet? Depending on the dude, semen can contain just 1 calorie per serving (based on 3.4 ml or 3/4 tsp). Ok, real talk for a moment. We’ve found so many conflicting reports and theories about this that we decided to err on the side of caution. Some reports did state that a teaspoon of spunk could cost your diet as much as 40 calories. The discrepancies rise from the fact that all guys are different and create different and varying types of semen. What we do know is that sperm is high in protein, just don’t ask researchers to agree on how much.
11. Throughout history and into the modern era, many cultures have considered male ingestion of semen to be a sign of masculinity, and some religions have used sperm as part of their rituals.
Some other cool stuff we thought you might want to know
- A refractory period is the amount of time, after achieving an orgasm and ejaculation, it takes a dude to recover and have another erection, thus leading to another orgasm and ejaculation. As with most things with the human body, it will vary from person to person. This process can take minutes to days, depending on the person. There are some rare guys who are able to recover within seconds and others that have an almost seamless refractory period and are able to continue with the sexual activity without pause.
- Multiple orgasms and ejaculations are also not uncommon, without a change in erection stiffness, or prolonged refractory period. Some have been reported to have three or four in a row. One very special gentleman was studied by Rutgers University in New Jersey in 1995. He was able to achieve 6 fully complete ejaculations and orgasms with a 36 minute period, with no apparent refractory period!
- Practice seems to be a key in achieving, prolonging, or holding off an ejaculation or orgasm. This has been found to be true with overall recovery time as well.
- Pre-mature ejaculation is when a male is unable to control when he orgasms, but it’s always sooner than he or his partner would desire. He doesn’t have to be physically stimulated for this to occur.
- Being unable to ejaculate regardless of the amount or time of sexual stimulation is known as delayed ejaculation or anorgasmia.
- An orgasm that doesn’t produce an “ejaculate” (noun) is a dry orgasm. This phenomenon has been reported after long and extensive sessions of arousal, which lead to numerous orgasms and ejaculations. Basically, the tank was running on fumes. Young boys may also experience this before their bodies are able to produce sperm.
- “Anal” orgasms are derived from stimulation of the prostate gland with a penis, finger or other object. Many gay men experience these orgasms and subsequent ejaculations with prostate massages alone. Some have even called this a “full body orgasm”.
- Nipple stimulation is also a way to achieve ejaculation and orgasm. This seems to be a more common occurrence with gay males rather than straight ones. Guys label this as having their “nipples wired to their dick”.