Are arousal and erection the same thing?

11 comments

1. No. Men can get erections without being aroused.

2. The answer is ‘no, but’ because yes, erections happen from arousal, but primarily no because most guys experience random in-school boners during boring-ass monologues about tributaries and some old dude named Josef Tributar who discovered them and blahblahblah. That’s just one example, there’s a million more.

   Tl;dr, – no.

3. Arousal refers to the physiological and psychological response to sexual stimuli, which can include increased blood flow, heightened sensitivity, and feelings of desire. On the other hand, an erection is the physical response of the penis becoming firm and erect due to increased blood flow. Some people may experience strong physical arousal without an erection, while others may have an erection without feeling sexually attracted or aroused.

4. No because people with ED still get aroused

5. Nope

6. No. People can be very aroused but not erect, but erection is often a symptom of arousal. Most arousal is mental/emotional. Also, erection, especially for penises, can happen without any thought or input and even against our will sometimes. It kinda does what it wants, lol.

7. Not necessarily. A man can get an erection just from having to pee really bad

8. After about 18 I would say it’s very unlikely they’re not the same thing.

9. No. You can be aroused without being erect or erect without being aroused. They are reasonably correlated though.

10. That’s a great question! There is something that sexual psychologists call “genital concordance.” Basically, it is the idea that we can have sexual arousal in our brains or in our genitals, or both. For instance, you can be really aroused by something (your brain says, yes sexy!” and your genitals also become aroused as a result (erection, vaginal lubrication, etc). That’s called genital concordance – your genitals and brain are working together.

    There are also times when you have genital nonconcordance. That means either your brain or your body is aroused, but only one. Getting an erection without being turned on is a good example. Just like how some women can orgasm from exercising. Not exactly a sexy situation, but the body picks up on the sensation and responds with arousal or pleasure. You also cen be very mentally turned on but your body isn’t. Like if someone has erectile dysfunction, or a woman could be enjoying sex with her partner and just can’t get wet or orgasm.

11. No.

    Not all erections are a sign of arousal. Sometimes (like in the morning) the little guy is just going through POST. Other times, it just kind of happens.

    Not all times of being aroused result in an erection either. Stress, nervousness, anxiety, even a lack of sleep can stop a boner from happening.