What is the magic behind the mystery? While erections seem to just “happen,” erection is really a very complicated process that involves hidden nerves, arteries, veins, hormones and, of course, some more visible parts of a man’s body like the penis and testicles. Although a lot is known about the intricacies of erection, it is still veiled in mystery.

Lifting the veil is important, because understanding how erections happen can help explain why they sometimes don’t. And this knowledge will also help you and your partner understand why it’s normal for a man’s erections to vary somewhat in size, firmness and duration—or even, on occasion, fail to appear.

Since the subject is anatomy, you may find it helpful to examine yourself or your partner while reading this chapter. In fact, couples might benefit from reviewing the material together to see for themselves just what we are describing.

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