Sexual arousal

Sexual arousal is the feeling humans and animals get when they are ready to have sexual intercourse. Someone who can only get sexually aroused after forming an emotional bond with someone is called a demisexual.^[1]

Sexual arousal in people[change | change source]

When people become sexually aroused, their bodies change in certain ways.

In women:		In men:
Female sexual arousal. The nipples are erect. Inside her body, the uterus may have moved backwards while her vagina starts to expand. The breasts will get bigger. Nipples may stiffen.^[2] The vagina will become slippery so it is easier for the erect penis to go in. Blood will fill the walls of the vagina. The clitoris and labia will swell up. The cervix and uterus will pull backwards. The vagina will expand upwards. The labia majora and labia minora will become red and swollen.		Male sexual arousal. The penis has started to swell up, the veins are starting to show, and the foreskin has begun to slip back. The testicles have tightened in the scrotum. As the penis continues to swell it will point upwards. The penis will swell up and become stiff (erect) so it points outwards and upwards. This is the clearest sign of sexual arousal in men. The veins in the penis will stand out. Pre-ejaculatory fluid will leak from the end of the penis to help lubricate it. The foreskin will slip back, exposing the glans penis. The testicles will swell and be pulled upwards. The scrotum will thicken as the testicles tighten.

Animals[change | change source]

Animal sexuality is not very well understood today, but scientists are sure that animals do get sexually aroused without having sexual intercourse. Dolphins and Bonobos both use sex as a "social tool to strengthen and maintain bonds."^[3]

Related pages[change | change source]

References[change | change source]

↑ McAlister, Jodi. "‘That complete fusion of spirit as well as body’: Heroines, heroes, desire and compulsory demisexuality in the Harlequin Mills & Boon romance novel." Australasian journal of popular culture 3.3 (2014): 299-310.
↑ "Human Sexuality - MSN Encarta". Archived from the original on 2008-12-06. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
↑ McCarey, Kevin (writer) (1999). Dolphins: The wild side (Documentary). USA: National Geographic Television. Archived from the original on 2009-08-15. Retrieved 2007-04-24. "Like humans and some chimpanzees, dolphins use sex for reasons other than procreation. Sex is as frequent as it is casual, a social tool used to strengthen and maintain bonds."'Dolphins: The wild side' on IMDb

Other websites[change | change source]

Sex: The science of sexual arousal

[1] McAlister, Jodi. "‘That complete fusion of spirit as well as body’: Heroines, heroes, desire and compulsory demisexuality in the Harlequin Mills & Boon romance novel." Australasian journal of popular culture 3.3 (2014): 299-310.

[2] "Human Sexuality - MSN Encarta". Archived from the original on 2008-12-06. Retrieved 2008-08-16.

[3] McCarey, Kevin (writer) (1999). Dolphins: The wild side (Documentary). USA: National Geographic Television. Archived from the original on 2009-08-15. Retrieved 2007-04-24. "Like humans and some chimpanzees, dolphins use sex for reasons other than procreation. Sex is as frequent as it is casual, a social tool used to strengthen and maintain bonds."'Dolphins: The wild side' on IMDb

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Human reproductive system
Female anatomy	Breasts – Cervix – Clitoris – Clitoral hood – Fallopian tubes – Bartholin's glands – Gräfenberg spot (G-spot) – Hymen – Labia – Ovaries – Skene's glands – Urethra – Uterus – Vagina – Vulva
Female physiology	Menstruation – Pregnancy – Childbirth – Lactation – Estrogen – Orgasm – Ovum
Male anatomy	Male reproductive system – Bulbourethral glands – Corpus cavernosum – Ejaculatory ducts – Epididymis – Foreskin – Frenulum – Glans penis – Penis – Prostate – Rete testis – Scrotum – Seminal vesicles – Seminiferous tubules – Sertoli cell – Spermatic cord – Testicles (testes) – Urethra – Vasa deferentia
Male physiology	Ejaculation – Erection – Orgasm – Semen – Sperm – Testosterone
Anatomy is the study of the parts of the body • Physiology is the study of how the body works