The Sexual Response - Stimulus and Response

The Basic Pattern: Sources of Sexual Stimulation

Responses without sexual stimulation

Certain seemingly sexual responses can occur for entirely nonsexual reasons.

For example, many men know that they may have erections when lifting heavy weights or when a full urinary bladder causes some physical irritation.
 

There is also a rare pathological condition called priapism in which a man is unable to lose his erection. This disease can be quite painful and may, eventually, do serious damage to the penis. (The condition was named after the ancient Greek fertility god Priapos, who was always portrayed with an erect penis.)

Ancient small statue of Priapos