Sexual Health
5. Emotions and Body
5.3. Men`s reproductive and sexual system
Picture: sculpture by G. Vigeland
Male’s sexual anatomy consists of external and internal sexual organs that are involved in essential body functions such as the production of hormones related to male characteristics and sexual functions such as semen production and sexual pleasure. The male’s external sexual organs are the penis, the glans penis, the scrotum, the foreskin and the urinary meatus/ urinary tract. The male’s internal sexual organs are the testicles, the epididymis, the ejaculatory duct, the prostate and the seminal vesicles. The pelvic floor muscles are also important for sexual pleasure.
The shaft forms the penis and a bulbous tip called the glans penis (head of the penis). The glans penis supports the foreskin. The foreskin is the skin that covers and protects the head of the penis. The urinary tract is a channel from where urine and semen exit the body. Penises come in all shapes, lengths, and sizes.
When a man is sexually aroused, the penis will swell with blood and become hard (erected). The penis becomes longer, thicker and harder than usual. For that to happen, three columns of erectable tissue are filled with blood: two corpora cavernosa lie next to each other and one spongy tissue (Corpus spongiosum) lie between them. Blood is filling the spongy tissue. The spongy tissue can be filled with blood at any time. The foreskin helps keep the glans moist and also help facilitate penetration as the skin retracts to reveal the highly sensitive glans. This gliding effect is said to increase the sexual satisfaction of both men and women during intercourse.
Erection does not always occur under voluntary control. For example, men can wake up in the morning with an erected penis without feeling aroused. During sexual activity, the erection will facilitate intercourse, the penetration of vagina or anus. This activity can lead to orgasm, with ejaculation (liberation of semen) and pleasurable feelings. Boys have their first ejaculation and start producing sperm during puberty.
Under the penis there is a pouch-like structure called the scrotum. The testicles (typically two) are placed inside the scrotum and are responsible for the production of sperm. The scrotum is outside the body, where the temperature is kept around 2-3 degrees lower than the body’s, which is essential to sperm production. Sperm is often compared to tadpoles because of how they look.
ACTIVITY:
Discuss with your child/sibling/client about men’s visible sexual organs using this webpage: ‘The male`s sexual organs (12).