Interesting Male Facts: Part One

I have compiled hundreds of “male facts” in the last decade since I have specialized in male health. Some of these will be in a book one day. In the meantime, enjoy these commonly asked “male facts” questions .

PENIS AND SEX

Flaccid penis after ejaculation

Flaccidity after ejaculation (refractory period) is caused by the hormone oxytocin.
The amount oxytocin increased may affect the length of each refractory period.
Oxytocin in humans is released during hugging, touching, and orgasm in both sexes.
In women, oxytocin causes uterine contraction during labor and milk release from the mammary glands when breast feeding.
Some women do not experience a refractory period immediately after orgasm and in many cases are capable of attaining additional, multiple orgasms through further stimulation (mainly oral-genital stimulation or through masturbation).
Some women experience clitoral hypersensitivity after orgasm, which effectively creates a refractory period. These women may be capable of further orgasms, but the pain involved maybe undesirable.
18-year-old males have a refractory period of about 15 minutes
Men in their 70s take about 20 hours
The average for all men is about a half-hour.
On average, condoms are effective at preventing pregnancy. 85% of the time every year If condoms are used perfectly, that is, properly and consistently every time, only two out of 100 women will become pregnant per year.

Spontaneous/Unwanted erections

Subconsciously a woman might be wearing the same perfume as your college girlfriend, and your brain picked up this long-dormant cue.

Surprise erections become rare after age 30.

SPERM

Each sperm takes between 60 and 72 days to develop.
Sperm production occurs only at about four degrees below normal body temperature. A higher temperature not only prevents sperm production, but kills sperm in storage.
The smallest functioning penis in medical history was just over one centimeter long.
Most erect penises are 14 – 16 cm long (approximately 6 inches)
PENIS SIZE has no direct relationship to either the ability to reproduce or give sexual satisfaction.
Between 150 and 400 million sperm are ejaculated on orgasm.
Most men require a rest period between orgasms this can last anything from a few minutes to a few weeks.
During orgasm, a man’s heartbeat and breathing rate can increase to as much as 2,5 times their normal levels.

URINE

Why does your urine stream sometimes take a left turn into the toilet?

The problem is your MEATUS or the tiny opening at the tip of your penis. Dried mucus, ejaculate, or any other irregularity in the meatus can make the stream split or go off-center. This happens most often in the morning or after sex.

MALE BREAST CANCER

Men get breast cancer at significantly lower rates than women. The American Cancer Center (ACS) estimates that 1,720 new cases of male breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2006 and of those, 27 percent are estimated to die from the disease, compared to 19 percent of women with breast cancer.

Male breast cancer may be less common than other male cancers, BUT DEATH IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER for male breast cancer than for both prostate (9 percent) and testicular cancer (4 percent)

Lack of awareness about male breast cancer can be fatal — men with breast cancer often mistake visible lumps for other problems or ignore them until it is too late; embarrassment and social stigma can also contribute to later diagnosis. Cancer found at a later stage may be less likely to be effectively treated.

Male breast cancer is most common in men between the ages of 60 and 70.

DEATH AMONG MEN

The motor-vehicle death rate is highest among males 15 to 24 years old.
Nearly two-thirds of all murders are among males 15 to 24 years old.
Young men commit suicide five times as often as young women
Married men generally live longer than their single counterparts, and an invigorating relationship can add even more joy to those extra years.

TESTOSTERONE

* Low testosterone affects approximately 4 to 5 million American men. However, it is estimated that only 5 percent of affected men currently receive testosterone replacement therapy.

DISEASE AND MEN

In the U.S., it is estimated that over two million men have osteoporosis and approximately 12 million men have low bone mass, putting them at higher risk for development of osteoporosis later in life.
It is expected that by 2020, over 20 million men will have low bone mass and osteoporosis.
One in six men in the U.S. will develop prostate cancer in the course of his lifetime. In fact, prostate cancer accounts for over 30,000 deaths a year.

More to come in the future.