All You Wanted to Know About Sex (3 page)

The mature testicle is 4 to 4% cm long; at the utmost it does not exceed 5 cm. It is 2 to 3 cm broad and weighs between 15 to 26 gm.

The testicles are the parts of male reproductive system. The testicle on the left side is larger than the one on the right side. The two male testes hang down behind the penis. The nerves and blood-vessels enter the organs from behind. Besides this each testicle is joined and clasped from the back by the epididymis—an oval pad cushion. The head of the epididymis is fastened to the upper pole or extremity of the testicle and the two structures are closely interconnected.

The testicles are divided internally by a regular pattern of partitions into paramidical cups or cells. In each of these is a cluster of very minute curved and intertwined tubules, in which the spermatozoa, or sperm cells are formed. The testes produce the male sex hormone,
testosterone
which causes the changes in the body during puberty.

Hanging Scrotum

The reason why scrotum hang outside the body is that sperms are best produced at one or two degrees lower than the normal body temperature. The testes can only produce sperm at a temperature of 35°C, which is 2 degrees cooler than the temperature inside the body. If it is cooler outside, the skin of the scrotum shrinks, drawing the testes up towards the body for warmth. If they get too hot, the scrotum drops slightly so that the testes can cool down.

Sperm Cells

The production of sperm cells goes on in man from puberty to advanced old age at the rate of 500 million a day during peak production. The cells are termed seminal cells. A sperm looks a bit like a tadpole with a head, neck and a tail. The head transmits the qualities of genus and individual. The neck acts as oar to sweep the sperm forwards. These sperms come into motion when they are blended with a liquid secretion of the vesicles and prostate gland but in the testicles they remain motionless.

Only 200 to 300 million sperms are ejaculated at any one time. In fact, up to 100 million sperms can mature in just 24 hours.

Sperms Reach their Destination

Apart from the independent motion of the individual sperm cells, they are also driven forward and onward in the testicles by the accumulation of secretion, and gradual muscular apparatus of these ducts. They cover the last stage through the urethra with lightning speed and impetus in the ejaculation. If a man is having unprotected sexual intercourse with a woman and his penis is inside her vagina when he ejaculates, the sperm can swim through the woman’s cervix into her uterus and travel up her fallopian tubes. If a single sperm meets a mature ovum here and joins with it, conception takes place.

Out of 200 to 500 million sperms that enter the vagina at the time of coitus only one is fortunate enough to enter the ovum. Others are expelled out by the vaginal secretions, which are too acidic to suit them as a medium. But the slight acidity of the vaginal secretions, at certain period of the cycle, and the distinctly alkaline spermatic fluid of uterine and tubular secretions, on the other hand, are very congenial to the sperms.

A man produces as much sperms as are needed. If he is not ejaculating due to masturbation or sexual intercourse, the production of the sperms slows down.

Function of the Prostate Gland

The prostate gland is a part of reproductive system. It surrounds the male urethra and is about the size of a golf ball.

During the spasmodic contractions or convulsion at the moment of sexual intercourse, this powerful muscular apparatus is able to squeeze and force the secretions it contains into the urethra. The ducts in which these secretions are formed are about thirty in number, and open-close together at the same place, in the urethral wall where the two seminal ducts also join the urethra.

The specific secretion of the prostate gland forms a milky-white, thin alkaline fluid containing sperms. These prostatic secretions are forced into the Urethra together with the sperm secretions from the testicles. Prostate secretion forms a large proportion of the ejaculate or discharge. Their alkalinity preserves the sperms and stimulates their mobility.

The length of the spermatic cord is about 45 cm. This length makes it a much more effective suction pump for the testicular products. This length also makes it able to contain a large amount of such secretions, so that throughout it may serve as a
reservoir
, as well as a conduit or duct. In the reservoir there are compartments in which the seminal fluid from the epididymis collects. Main storage of the semen takes place in the reservoir. When these are overfull the vesicles act as safety valves and extra containers.

The vesicular product is a tough, yellowish and sticky substance which gets mixed up in the seminal fluid.

Ejaculation

When the accumulated tension as a result of brimming seminal fluid in the reservoir and vesicles—has passed a certain limit, the involuntary muscles of these organs contract automatically in strong spasms. Then drive their fluid contents in tiny columns of spray against the anterior urethral wall. At the same time the prostatic muscles contract, and project the special secretions of the prostate gland into the urethra. It is a reflex action produced during copulation or masturbation and the sensation associated with it is also called orgasm.

Urethral Crest

It is not possible for the seminal fluid to flow away inwards in the direction of the bladder. And simultaneously it becomes impossible for the urine to pass with and get mixed into the semen, so long as the penis is in erection. The urethral crest makes it impossible to pass water or urine.

Penis after Ejaculation

After ejaculation, blood flows from the spongy tissue of the penis at a faster rate than fresh arterial blood flown in until the penis is flaccid again. Further stimulation persists and causes a renewal of the process once again.

Empty Reservoir and Vesicles

It is difficult to tell whether reservoirs and vesicles become entirely empty after ejaculation. But we find that it is possible to repeat coitus almost at once, so, we can assume that only a partial emptying of these organs takes place.

It is also true that complete or partial discharge is a matter of individual’s particular way of thinking. That is why one man can only have coitus once on each occasion, and another several times in rapid succession. But only a thin fluid is finally discharged which contains mostly prostatic secretion but no sperms or at most very few. For example, animals like cattle, sheeps and stallions etc. have reservoirs like man and so they perform coitus very quickly. However dogs and cats have no reservoirs and they are compelled to depend on vas deferens for their supply in coitus and hence take comparatively longer time.

Emmission of Sperms

In one ejaculation between 5 and 10 ml of semen is discharged containing about 60 million spermatozoa. When emission occurs in rapid succession, both quantity and quality diminish.

Longevity of Sperms

Once sperms have become fully developed at the man’s reproductive organs, their life-span depends on where they happen to be. Mature sperms can be stored in the seminal vesicles for several weeks before they are reabsorbed as waste by the body. The ideal condition for the survival of sperm is a moist, warm, alkaline environment—such as found within the uterus. Here after intercourse, sperms can live for up to three days. Before ejaculation sperm’s longevity can be measured in weeks and months.

Length of the Tube that Produces Sperms

Each testis contains about 100 metre of thread-like tubes in which sperms are made and transported to vas deferens.

Sperm Duct

Vas deferens is one of the two muscular tubes that join the testes to the ejaculatory duct via prostate gland. It carries spermatozoa to the urethra on ejaculation aided by contraction of its muscular wall.

Odour in the Semen

The prostate fluid which gets mixed in the semen cuases odour. This odour does not come from testicular secretion.

Composition of Man’s Semen

The average one teaspoonful of semen contains, along with protein in the sperm, the sugar fructose, ascorbic acid, small amount of zinc and traces of cholesterol. It has calorific value of a raw carrot.

Swallowing Semen

Swallowing semen is absolutely harmless and might even have some nutritional value. But due to childhood taboos, many people are afraid of their natural secretion.

Semen Related Problems

Masturbation

Sexual pleasure by stimulating the genitals, especially by hand, is called masturbation. Penis and clitoris are the special organs for masturbation. The act is usually accompanied by sexual fantasies and may involve the use of mechanical device such as a
vibrator
.

Masturbating can give good feeling and it can make one sexually excited enough to have an orgasm. Various surveys show that more than 90% of males and 80% of females use this technique of self arousal.

Myths Associated with Masturbation

Many myths are associated with masturbation. These are scaring the people for generations. There are lots of stories about terrible things that happen to people who masturbate—they go mad, go blind, can not have babies etc. These are not true. Masturbating can not do any harm and there is no need to feel guilty or scared about it. Some people do not want to masturbate because their religion or morals say that it is wrong.

Ways of Masturbation

There are different ways of masturbating. Men often hold the shaft of their penis in their hand and move their hand rhythmically up and down. Women may use their fingers or hand to rub their clitoris. Some masturbate their sexual partners by doing this for them.

Masturbation should not be thought as second best. The experience is a different one from sex with a partner. It does not involve the pleasures of sharing and giving, but it can be a useful way of relieving sexual tension.

Masturbation is not Harmful

Remember that masturbation can’t do any harm and there is no need to feel guilty or scared about it. The belief that masturbating a great deal as youth could cause depletion of a man’s semen supply late in life is erroneous. The male body continues to form semen even as mere secretions from the prostate and other glands without spermatozoa throughout life.

The only thing about masturbation which is in anyway damaging or bad is other people’s negative attitude to it, which may harm and may induce guilt feelings in young people for no good reason.

Nocturnal Emission

Nocturnal emission is also called wet dreams. When semen leaks out of an adolescent boy’s penis while he is asleep, it is called nocturnal emission. Nocturnal emission happens while people are dreaming, even if they are not dreaming about sex.

Orgasm during sleep are much common in men and women, typically starting in puberty and most frequent during adolescence. They may continue for many years into adulthood. It is more common in single men. It seems to be related to a man’s general level of sexuality. Many married men also have wet dreams. These usually cease when a man reaches his fifties. Women can also have nocturnal orgasm with profuse sweating of the vagina. The contents of the dreams that accompany nocturnal arousal are usually erotic.

Involuntry seminal losses to which young men who are sexually abstinent are peculiarly liable owing to the accumulation of sperm. It can take place every fortnight, or three weeks and sometimes after every eight days. In later years they occur less often. The tension in the vesicles and reservoirs causes the motor reflexes of erection and emission, and that the dream passes through the mind concurrently. The local tension causes the dream and the dream causes the ejaculation. It is purely a physical example of the urge to relieve tension or urge of sexual evacuation.

Since the testes and seminal vesicles are always secreting and manufacturing semen, sometimes the vesicles are filled to capacity and the nature empties them in the form of nocturnal emission.

Nocturnal Emission is not Harmful

Nocturnal emission is not harmful in any way. In fact they are a sign that your reproductive organs are developing. They can happen quite often, during puberty. But don’t worry if you don’t have them. That is normal. Wet dreams are also a sign that you are normal.

Wet dreams are natural and harmless occurrence to be expected in most normal men between the age of fourteen and forty. They are a sign that your reproductive organs are developing normally. Even their absence does not necessarily indicate any abnormality.

Quacks Dupe the People

Quacks dupe the people by befooling them on the basis of baseless canards told by the religious leaders. Then they prescribe many types of prescriptions and create a sense of fear in them banking upon their ignorance. Millions of people are being fleeced every year in the name of nocturnal emission.