Ejaculation

{{Short description|Semen discharge from the male reproductive tract}}

{{About|male ejaculation|the female counterpart|Female ejaculation|other uses|Ejaculation (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox anatomy

|Name=Ejaculation

|Image= Ejaculation educational seq 4.png

|Width=300

|image_size=300px

|Caption= A human male ejaculating

}}

Ejaculation is the discharge of semen (the ejaculate; normally containing sperm) from the penis through the urethra.{{Cite book |last=Lombardi |first=Julian |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tXvjBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA205 |title=Comparative Vertebrate Reproduction |date=2012-12-06 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-1-4615-4937-6 |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Gower |first=Timothy |title=How the Penis Works |url=https://www.webmd.com/erectile-dysfunction/how-an-erection-occurs |access-date=2024-07-03 |website=WebMD |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2024-06-18 |title=Ejaculation {{!}} Definition & Process {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/science/ejaculation |access-date=2024-07-03 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}} It is the final stage and natural objective of male sexual stimulation, and an essential component of natural conception. After forming an erection, many men emit pre-ejaculatory fluid during stimulation prior to ejaculating. Ejaculation involves involuntary contractions of the pelvic floor and is normally linked with orgasm. It is a normal part of male human sexual development.

Ejaculation can occur spontaneously during sleep (a nocturnal emission or "wet dream") or in rare cases because of prostatic disease. Anejaculation is the condition of being unable to ejaculate. Dysejaculation is an ejaculation that is painful or uncomfortable. Retrograde ejaculation is the backward flow of semen from the urethra into the bladder. Premature ejaculation happens shortly after initiating sexual activity, and hinders prolonged sexual intercourse. A vasectomy alters the composition of the ejaculate as a form of birth control.

Phases

=Stimulation=

{{See also|Sexual stimulation|Orgasm#Males|Intravaginal ejaculation latency time|Sexual arousal#Male physiological response}}

The normal precursor to ejaculation is sexual arousal of the male, leading to the erection of the penis, though not all arousals or erections lead to ejaculation, and ejaculation does not require erection. Penile sexual stimulation during masturbation or vaginal, anal, oral, manual, or non-penetrative sexual activity may provide the necessary stimulus for a man to achieve orgasm and ejaculation. With regard to intravaginal ejaculation latency, men typically reach orgasm five to seven minutes after the start of penile-vaginal intercourse, taking into account their desire and that of their partners, but 10 minutes is also a common intravaginal ejaculation latency.{{cite journal | last1 = Waldinger | first1 = M.D. | last2 = Quinn | first2 = P. | last3 = Dilleen | first3 = M. | last4 = Mundayat | first4 = R. | last5 = Schweitzer | first5 = D.H. | last6 = Boolell | first6 = M.|year=2005|title=A Multinational Population Survey of Intravaginal Ejaculation Latency Time|journal=Journal of Sexual Medicine|volume=2|pages=492–497|doi=10.1111/j.1743-6109.2005.00070.x|pmid=16422843|issue=4}}{{cite journal | last1 = Giuliano | first1 = F. | last2 = Patrick | first2 = D. | last3 = Porst | first3 = R. | last4 = La Pera | first4 = G. | last5 = Kokoszka | first5 = A. | last6 = Merchant | first6 = S. | last7 = Rothman | first7 = M. | last8 = Gagnon | first8 = D. | last9 = Polverejan | first9 = E. | year=2008|title=Premature Ejaculation: Results from a Five-Country European Observational Study|journal=European Urology|volume=53|issue=5|pages=1048–1057|doi= 10.1016/j.eururo.2007.10.015|pmid= 17950985}} Prolonged stimulation either through foreplay (kissing, petting and direct stimulation of erogenous zones before penetration during intercourse) or stroking (during masturbation) leads to adequate arousal and production of pre-ejaculatory fluid. Infectious agents (including HIV) can be present in pre-ejaculate.{{Cite web |date=2022-03-30 |title=Body Fluids That Transmit HIV {{!}} HIV Transmission {{!}} HIV Basics {{!}} HIV/AIDS {{!}} CDC |url=https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/hiv-transmission/body-fluids.html |access-date=2023-05-01 |website=cdc.gov |language=en-us}}

=Emission phase=

File:ejaculation anatomy en.svg through the vas deferens mixing with fluids from the male accessory glands as it enters the urethra. During the expulsion phase, rhythmic contractions of the pelvic floor and bulbospongiosus muscles expel the semen from the penis through the urinary meatus in several spurts.]]

File:Ejaculation educational ani short reboot.webm

Once the penis has achieved sufficient stimulation for the man to reach orgasm, ejaculation begins.{{cite book | first1 = Bruce M. | last1 = Koeppen | first2 = Bruce A. | last2 = Stanton | title = Berne & Levy Physiology | publisher = Elsevier/Mosby | location = Philadelphia, PA | year = 2008 | isbn = 978-0-323-04582-7}} The initial stage of ejaculation, called emission, is controlled by a reflex in the sympathetic spinal cord. Sperm undergo their final developmental changes within the epididymis, where they are held until being ejaculated.{{Cite book

|url= https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/infertility-in-the-male/erection-emission-and-ejaculation/E0CD2D25F613A70EE2954588DDAF1FBE

|title= Infertility in the Male - Chapter 9 - Erection, emission, and ejaculation: Mechanisms of Control

|last= Mueller

|first= Alexander

|date= 19 May 2010

|publisher= Cambridge University Press

|doi= 10.1017/CBO9780511635656.010

|isbn= 978-0-511-63565-6

|access-date= December 11, 2023 }}

=Expulsion phase=

Ejaculation reaches its peak in the expulsion phase, which involves the discharge of semen from the urethral opening. This ejection is driven by coordinated contractions of the pelvic muscles, including the bulbospongiosus and pubococcygeus muscles. For the semen to be expelled out of the penis, the bladder neck stays shut while the external urethral sphincter is relaxed. These rhythmic contractions are part of the male orgasm{{cite book | last = Marieb | first = Elaine | title = Anatomy & physiology | publisher = Benjamin-Cummings | page= 895 | year = 2013 | isbn = 978-0-321-88760-3 }} under the control of a spinal reflex at the level of the spinal nerves S2–4 via the pudendal nerve. Although the external sphincter and pelvic muscles can be voluntarily controlled, any voluntary control during semen expulsion is not evident. The expulsion phase is considered an extension of the emission phase, triggered by reaching a certain level of spinal nerve activation.{{Cite journal

|title= Normal Male Sexual Function: Emphasis on Orgasm and Ejaculation

|last= Alwaal

|first= Amjad

|journal= Fertility and Sterility

|date= 16 Sep 2015

|volume= 104

|issue= 5

|pages= 1051–1060

|publisher= American Society for Reproductive Medicine

|doi= 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.08.033

|pmid= 26385403

|pmc= 4896089

}} The typical male orgasm lasts several seconds.

Premature ejaculation is when ejaculation occurs before it is desired. Otherwise, if a man is unable to ejaculate after prolonged sexual stimulation in spite of his desire, it is called delayed ejaculation or anorgasmia. An orgasm that is not accompanied by ejaculation is known as a dry orgasm.

At start of orgasm, pulses of semen begin to flow from the urethra, reach a peak of discharge and then diminish in flow. The typical orgasm consists of 10 to 15 contractions, although the man may not be consciously aware of so many. After the first contraction, ejaculation continues to completion involuntarily. During this stage ejaculation cannot be stopped. The rate of contractions gradually slows throughout the orgasm. Initial contractions occur on average every 0.6 seconds with an increasing increment of 0.1 seconds per contraction. Contractions of most men proceed at regular rhythmic intervals through their duration. Many men also experience irregular contractions at the end of the orgasm.{{cite journal | last = Bolen | first = J. G. |pmid=7458658| title=The male orgasm: pelvic contractions measured by anal probe | journal= Archives of Sexual Behavior| date= 1980-12-09| issue=6 | pages=503–21 | doi = 10.1007/BF01542155 | volume=9| s2cid = 32523063 }}

Ejaculation usually begins during the first or second contraction of orgasm. For most men, the first ejection occurs during the second contraction, which is typically the largest, expelling 40% or more of total semen discharge. After this peak, the quantity of semen emitted by the penis diminishes as the contractions lessen in intensity. The muscle contractions of the orgasm can continue after ejaculation with no additional semen discharge. A small sample study of seven men showed an average of seven spurts of semen followed by an average of 10 more contractions with no semen expelled. This study also found a high correlation between number of spurts of semen and total ejaculate volume, i.e., larger semen volumes resulted from additional pulses of semen rather than larger individual spurts.{{cite journal| last1 = Gerstenburg | first1 = T. C. | pmid=2340374 | title= Erection and ejaculation in man. Assessment of the electromyographic activity of the bulbocavernosus and ischiocavernosus muscles | journal= British Journal of Urology | year= 1990 | volume=65| issue=4| pages=395–402| doi=10.1111/j.1464-410X.1990.tb14764.x| first2=RJ| first3=G| last2=Levin| last3=Wagner}}

Alfred Kinsey measured the distance of ejaculation, in "some hundreds" of men. In three-quarters of men tested, ejaculate "is propelled with so little force that the liquid is not carried more than a minute distance beyond the tip of the penis." In contrast to those test subjects, Kinsey noted "In other males the semen may be propelled from a matter of some inches to a foot or two, or even as far as five or six and (rarely) eight feet".{{Cite book | last1 = Kinsey | first1 = A. C. | last2 = Pomeroy | first2 = W. B. | last3 = Martin | first3 = C. E. | last4 = Gebhard | first4 = P. H.| title=Sexual Behavior in the Human Female|year=1998|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=978-0-253-33411-4|page=634|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9GpBB61LV14C&q=sexual%20behavior%20of%20human%20female&pg=PA634|access-date=2013-11-07}} Masters and Johnson report ejaculation distance to be no greater than {{Convert|30–60|cm||abbr=on}}.{{cite book| last1 = Masters | first1 = W.H. | last2 = Johnson | first2 = V.E.|title=Human Sexual Response|year=1970|publisher=Little, Brown and Company|location=Boston}} During the series of contractions that accompany ejaculation, semen is propelled from the urethra at {{Convert|500|cm/s||abbr=on}}, close to {{Convert|18|kph|abbr=on}}.

=Refractory period=

Most men experience a refractory period immediately following an orgasm, during which they are unable to achieve another erection, and a longer period before they are capable of achieving another ejaculation. During this time a male feels a deep and often pleasurable sense of relaxation, usually in the groin and thighs. The length of the refractory period varies considerably, even for a given individual. Age affects the recovery time, with younger men recovering faster than older men, though not always.

Whereas some men have refractory periods of 15 minutes or more, others are able to experience sexual arousal immediately after ejaculation. A short recovery period may allow partners to continue sexual play relatively uninterrupted by ejaculation. Some men may experience their penis becoming hypersensitive to stimulation after ejaculation, which can make sexual stimulation unpleasant even while they may be sexually aroused.

Some men are able to achieve multiple orgasms, with or without the typical sequence of ejaculation and refractory period. Some of those men report not noticing refractory periods, or are able to maintain erection by "sustaining sexual activity with a full erection until they passed their refractory time for orgasm when they proceeded to have a second or third orgasm".{{cite journal| last1 = Dunn | first1 = M.E. | last2 = Trost | first2 = J.E.|year=1989|title=Male Multiple Orgasms: A Descriptive Study|journal=Archives of Sexual Behavior|volume=18|pages=377–387|doi=10.1007/BF01541970|pmid=2818169|issue=5| s2cid = 13647953 }}

=Volume=

The force and amount of semen that is ejected during ejaculation varies widely among men, containing between 0.1 and 10 milliliters{{cite journal | journal=Fertility and Sterility | volume=26 | issue=6 | pages=492–502 | year=1975 | last1 = Rehan | first1 = N. | last2 = Sobrero | first2 = A.J. | last3 = Fertig | first3 = J.W. | title=The semen of fertile men: statistical analysis of 1300 men | pmid=1169171 | doi=10.1016/s0015-0282(16)41169-6 | doi-access=free }} (for comparison, a teaspoon holds 5 ml and a tablespoon, 15 ml). Adult semen volume is affected by the time that has passed since his previous ejaculation; larger semen volumes develop with longer abstinence. The duration of the stimulation leading to ejaculation can affect the volume.{{cite journal | journal=Physiol Behav | volume=76 | issue=4–5 | pages=685–9 | year=2002 | last1 = Pound | first1 = N. | last2 = Javed | first2 = M.H. | last3 = Ruberto | first3 = C. | last4 = Shaikh | first4 = M.A. | last5 = Del Valle | first5 = A.P. | title=Duration of sexual arousal predicts semen parameters for masturbatory ejaculates | pmid=12127009 | doi = 10.1016/S0031-9384(02)00803-X | s2cid=37524348 }} Abnormally low semen volume is known as hypospermia and abnormally high semen volume is called hyperspermia. One possible underlying cause of low volume or complete lack of semen is ejaculatory duct obstruction. It is normal for the amount of semen to diminish with age.

=Quality=

The number of sperm in an ejaculation varies widely, depending on many factors including the time since the previous ejaculation,{{cite web | url=http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/menshealth/facts/semenandsperm.htm | title=Semen and sperm quality | publisher=Dr John Dean, netdoctor.co.uk | access-date=2009-03-04 | date=2015-05-29 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228195534/http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/menshealth/facts/semenandsperm.htm | archive-date=2009-02-28 | url-status=dead }} age, stress levels,{{cite web | url=https://www2.palomar.edu/anthro/biobasis/bio_2.htm | title= Biological Basis of Heredity: Cell Reproduction | publisher=Dr. Dennis O'Neil, Behavioral Sciences Department, Palomar College, San Marcos, California | access-date=2021-01-31}} and testosterone. Longer time of sexual stimulation immediately preceding ejaculation can result in higher concentration of sperm. An unusually low sperm count, distinguished from low semen volume, is known as oligospermia, and the absence of any sperm from the semen is termed azoospermia.

Development

=During puberty=

File:Male anatomy 1.png

The first ejaculation in males often occurs about 12 months after the onset of puberty, generally through masturbation or nocturnal emission (wet dreams). This first semen volume is small. The typical ejaculation over the following three months produces less than 1 ml of semen. The semen produced during early puberty is also typically clear. After ejaculation this early semen remains jellylike and, unlike semen from mature males, fails to liquefy. A summary of semen development is shown in Table 1.

Most first ejaculations (90%) lack sperm. Of the few early ejaculations that do contain sperm, the majority of sperm (97%) lack motion. The remaining sperm (3%) have abnormal motion.{{cite journal | last1 = Janczewski | first1 = Z. | last2 = Bablok | first2 = L. | year=1985| title=Semen Characteristics in Pubertal Boys| journal= Archives of Andrology | volume=15 | pages= 199–205 | pmid= 3833078| doi=10.3109/01485018508986912 | issue = 2–3| doi-access= free }}

As the male proceeds through puberty, the semen develops mature characteristics with increasing quantities of normal sperm. Semen produced 12 to 14 months after the first ejaculation liquefies after a short period of time. Within 24 months of the first ejaculation, the semen volume and the quantity and characteristics of the sperm match that of adult male semen.

class="wikitable"

+ Semen development during puberty

! Time after first
ejaculation (months)

! Average volume
(milliliter)

! Liquefaction

! Average sperm concentration
(million sperm/milliliter)

| 0.5

| No{{ref|no-liquefy|a}}

| 0

| 1.0

| No{{ref|no-liquefy|a}}

| 20

| 2.5

| No/Yes{{ref|some-liquefy|b}}

| 50

| 3.0

| Yes{{ref|all-liquefy|c}}

| 70

| 3.5

| Yes{{ref|all-liquefy|c}}

| 300

{{note|no-liquefy|a}}Ejaculate is jellylike and fails to liquefy.

{{note|some-liquefy|b}}Most samples liquefy. Some remain jellylike.

{{note|all-liquefy|c}}Ejaculate liquefies within an hour.

=Control from the central nervous system=

There is a central pattern generator in the spinal cord, made up of groups of spinal interneurons, that is involved in the rhythmic response of ejaculation. This is known as the spinal generator for ejaculation.{{cite journal |last1=Guertin |first1=PA |title=Central pattern generator for locomotion: anatomical, physiological, and pathophysiological considerations. |journal=Frontiers in Neurology |date=2012 |volume=3 |pages=183 |doi=10.3389/fneur.2012.00183 |pmid=23403923|pmc=3567435 |doi-access=free }}

To map the neuronal activation of the brain during the ejaculatory response, researchers have studied the expression of c-Fos, a proto-oncogene expressed in neurons in response to stimulation by hormones and neurotransmitters.{{cite journal | last1 = Sagar | first1 = S.M. | pmid= 3131879| title=Expression of c-fos protein in brain: metabolic mapping at the cellular level | journal= Science | pages=1328–1332 | doi = 10.1126/science.3131879| year=1988| volume=240 | issue=4857|display-authors=etal| bibcode = 1988Sci...240.1328S }} Expression of c-Fos in the following areas has been observed:{{cite journal | last1 = Pfaus | first1 = J.G. | last2 = Heeb | first2 = M.M. | pmid=9370204| title= Implications of immediate-early gene induction in the brain following sexual stimulation of female and male rodents | journal=Brain Res Bull| year= 1997 | volume=44| issue = 4 | pages=397–407 | doi = 10.1016/S0361-9230(97)00219-0 | s2cid = 15435196 }}{{cite journal | last1 = Veening | first1 = J.G. | last2 = Coolen | first2 = L.M. | pmid=9638960 | title=Neural activation following sexual behavior in the male and female rat brain | journal= Behav Brain Res | year= 1998 | volume= 92 | issue = 2 | pages=181–193 | doi = 10.1016/S0166-4328(97)00190-3 | s2cid = 38940946 }}

medial preoptic area (MPOA)
lateral septum, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis
paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus (PVN)
ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus, medial amygdala
ventral premammillary nuclei
ventral tegmental area
central tegmental field
mesencephalic central gray
peripeduncular nuclei
parvocellular subparafascicular nucleus (SPF) within the posterior thalamus

=Hands-free ejaculation=

Although uncommon, some men can achieve ejaculations during masturbation without any manual stimulation. Such men usually do it by tensing and flexing their abdominal and buttocks muscles along with vigorous fantasizing. Others may do it by relaxing the area around the penis, which may result in harder erections especially when extremely aroused.[https://books.google.com/books?id=pOqRZTMc_T0C&pg=PA102 The Rough Guide to Sex] retrieved February 2012 Hands-free ejaculation can also be achieved by prostate stimulation alone, either internally (with the use of sex toys, fingers or performing anal sex or pegging) or externally (such as perineum massages),{{Cite web |last=jetdigitaldev |date=2024-04-23 |title=Anal Orgasms Are Real—and They're Spectacular |url=https://joshuagonzalezmd.com/anal-orgasms-are-realand-theyre-spectacular/ |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=Joshua R. Gonzalez MD {{!}} Sexual Health + Urology |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2021-01-04 |title=What Prostate Orgasms Feel Like, According to 10 Men Who've Had Them |url=https://www.menshealth.com/sex-women/a28421545/prostate-vs-penile-orgasms/ |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=Men's Health |language=en-US}} although prostate orgasms without ejaculation (dry orgasms) are also possible.{{Cite web |last=Contributor |first=WebMD Editorial |title=Prostate Orgasm: What It Is |url=https://www.webmd.com/sex/prostate-orgasm-what-it-is |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=WebMD |language=en}}

=Perineum pressing and retrograde ejaculation=

Perineum pressing results in an ejaculation which is purposefully held back by pressing on either the perineum or the urethra to force the seminal fluid to remain inside. In such a scenario, the seminal fluid stays inside the body and goes to the bladder. Some people do this to avoid making a mess by keeping all the semen inside.65+ --Gateway to Sexual Adventure: For Women and Men, Herb Hirata - 2012 As a medical condition, it is called retrograde ejaculation.Andrology: Male Reproductive Health and Dysfunction - Page 317, E. Nieschlag, Hermann M. Behre, Susan Nieschlag - 2010

Health issues

For most men, no detrimental health effects have been determined from ejaculation itself or from frequent ejaculations,{{Citation needed|date=August 2015}} though sexual activity in general can have health or psychological consequences. A small fraction of men have a disease called postorgasmic illness syndrome (POIS), which causes severe muscle pain throughout the body and other symptoms immediately following ejaculation. The symptoms last for up to a week.{{cite book | title=Handbook of Sexual Dysfunction | publisher=Taylor & Francis | editor=Balon R, Segraves RT | year=2005 | isbn=978-0-8247-5826-4}}{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oH64CAAAQBAJ&q=Post%20orgaasmic%20illness%20syndrome&pg=PA75 | title=ABC of Sexual Health | publisher=John Wiley & Sons | year=2015 | page=75 | isbn=978-1-118-66556-5 | editor=Wylie KR | access-date=2015-10-21}}{{cite encyclopedia | title=Postorgasmic illness syndrome | encyclopedia=Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD) | publisher=National Institutes of Health | access-date=30 July 2015 | year=2015 | url=https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/gard/10809/postorgasmic-illness-syndrome/resources/1 | archive-date=5 March 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305193016/https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/gard/10809/postorgasmic-illness-syndrome/resources/1 | url-status=dead }} Some doctors speculate that the frequency of POIS "in the population may be greater than has been reported in the academic literature",{{cite journal | title=Postorgasm illness syndrome--a spectrum of illnesses. | author=Ashby J, Goldmeier D | journal=J. Sex. Med. |date=May 2010 | volume=7 | issue=5 | pages=1976–81 | doi= 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.01707.x| pmid=20214722}} and that many POIS sufferers are undiagnosed.{{cite journal | url=https://www.statusplus.net/issm/saopaulo2014/presentations/082.pdf | title=Post-Orgasmic Illness Syndrome | author=McMahon CG | journal=16th World Meeting on Sexual Medicine | date=October 2014 | access-date=2015-08-11 | archive-date=2016-03-04 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304110554/https://www.statusplus.net/issm/saopaulo2014/presentations/082.pdf | url-status=dead }}

It is not clear whether frequent ejaculation has any effect on the risk of prostate cancer.{{cite journal|last1=Dimitropoulou|first1=Polyxeni|first2 = Artitaya | last2 = Lophatananon | first3 = Douglas | last3 = Easton | first4 = Richard | last4 = Pocock | first5 = David P. | last5 = Dearnaley | first6 = Michelle | last6 = Guy | first7 = Steven | last7 = Edwards | first8 = Lynne | last8 = O'Brien | first9 = Amanda | last9 = Hall | first10 = Rosemary | last10 = Wilkinson | first11 = Rosalind | last11 = Eeles | first12 = Kenneth R. | last12 = Muir |date=November 11, 2008 |title=Sexual activity and prostate cancer risk in men diagnosed at a younger age|journal=BJU International|volume=103|issue=2|pages=178–185|doi=10.1111/j.1464-410X.2008.08030.x|pmid=19016689|s2cid=6339070| doi-access = free }}{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3072021.stm |title=Masturbation Cuts Cancer Risk | publisher= BBC News Online |date=2003-07-16 |access-date=2009-03-04}}, {{cite journal | journal=JAMA | volume=292 | issue=3 | page=329 | year=2004 | last1 = Giles | first1 = G.G. | last2 = Severi | first2 = G. | last3 = English | first3 = D.R. | last4 = Hopper | first4 = J.L. | title=Frequency of ejaculation and risk of prostate cancer | pmid=15265846 | doi = 10.1001/jama.292.3.329-a }}{{cite journal | journal=JAMA | volume=291 | issue=13 | pages=1578–86 | year=2004 | last1 = Leitzmann | first1 = M.F. | last2 = Platz | first2 = E.A. | last3 = Stampfer | first3 = M.J. | last4 = Willett | first4 = W.C. | last5 = Giovannucci | first5 = E. | title=Ejaculation frequency and subsequent risk of prostate cancer | pmid=15069045 | doi = 10.1001/jama.291.13.1578 | doi-access = free }} Two large studies examining the issue were{{cite web

| last = Garnick

| first = Marc

| title = Does frequent ejaculation help ward off prostate cancer?

| work = Harvard Medical School Prostate Knowledge

| publisher = Harvard University

| date = 24 February 2011

| url = http://www.harvardprostateknowledge.org/does-frequent-ejaculation-help-ward-off-prostate-cancer

| access-date = 9 February 2013

| archive-date = 6 September 2012

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120906061330/http://www.harvardprostateknowledge.org/does-frequent-ejaculation-help-ward-off-prostate-cancer

| url-status = dead

}}{{cite news

| title = Masturbation 'cuts cancer risk'

| newspaper = BBC News

| publisher = BBC

| date = 16 July 2003

| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3072021.stm

| access-date = 9 February 2013}}{{cite news

| last = Bhattacharya

| first = Shaoni

| title = Frequent ejaculation may protect against cancer

| newspaper = New Scientist

| location = UK

| publisher = Reed Business Information

| date = 6 April 2004

| url = https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4861-frequent-ejaculation-may-protect-against-cancer.html

| access-date = 9 February 2013}} "Ejaculation Frequency and Subsequent Risk of Prostate Cancer"{{cite journal

| last1 = Leitzmann MD

| first1 = Michael F

| title = Ejaculation Frequency and Subsequent Risk of Prostate Cancer

| journal = Journal of the American Medical Association

| volume = 291

| issue = 13

| pages = 1578–86

| date = 7 April 2004

| doi = 10.1001/jama.291.13.1578

| pmid=15069045| doi-access = free

}} and "Sexual Factors and Prostate Cancer".{{cite journal

| last1 = Giles

| first1 = Graham G.

| title = Sexual factors and prostate cancer

| journal = BJU International

| volume = 92

| issue = 3

| pages = 211–16

| date = August 2003

| doi =10.1046/j.1464-410X.2003.04319.x

| pmid=12887469| s2cid = 29430415

| doi-access = free}} These suggest that frequent ejaculation after puberty offers some reduction of the risk of prostate cancer. The US study involving 29,342 US men aged 46 to 81 years suggested that "high ejaculation frequency was related to decreased risk of total prostate cancer". An Australian study involving 1,079 men with prostate cancer and 1,259 healthy men found that "there is evidence that the more frequently men ejaculate between the ages of 20 and 50, the less likely they are to develop prostate cancer":

{{blockquote|[T]he protective effect of ejaculation is greatest when men in their twenties ejaculated on average seven or more times a week. This group were one-third less likely to develop aggressive prostate cancer when compared with men who ejaculated less than three times a week at this age.{{cite web

| title = New findings on prostate cancer risk and sexual activity

| work = Cancer Council Victoria website

| publisher = Cancer Council Victoria

| date = 17 July 2003

| url = https://www.cancervic.org.au/about/media-releases/new_findings_on_prostate_cancer_risk_and_sexual_activity.html

| access-date = 3 April 2025}}}}

Other animals

In mammals and birds, multiple ejaculation is commonplace.{{cite book|first=Robert L. | last = Smith|title=Sperm Competition and the Evolution of Animal Mating systems|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OIh4DX7tk_0C|access-date=19 April 2013|date=28 December 1984|publisher=Elsevier|isbn=978-0-323-14313-4}}{{cite book|author=P. Michael Conn|title=Paradigms for the Study of Behavior|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xp9GBQAAQBAJ|date=22 October 2013|publisher=Elsevier Science|isbn=978-1-4832-6937-5}}{{Clarify|reason=Multiple orgasms in one intercourse event? With each partner? Unclear.|date=January 2020}} During copulation, the two sides of a short-beaked echidna's penis are used sequentially. Alternating between the two sides allows for persistent stimulation to induce ejaculation without impeding the refractory period.{{cite journal | last1 = Johnston | first1 = S.D. | last2 = Smith | first2 = B. | last3 = Pyne | first3 = M. | last4 = Stenzel | first4 = D. | last5 = Holt | first5 = W.V. | year = 2007 | title = One-Sided Ejaculation of Echidna Sperm Bundles (Tachyglossus aculeatus) | url = https://eprints.qut.edu.au/14228/1/14228.pdf| journal = Am. Nat. | volume = 170| issue = 6| pages = E162–E164| doi = 10.1086/522847 | pmid = 18171162 | s2cid = 40632746 }}

In stallions, ejaculation is accompanied by a motion of the tail known as "tail flagging".{{cite book | first1 = Juan C. | last1 = Samper | first2 = Jonatjhan F. | last2 = Pycock | first3 = Angus O. | last3 = McKinnon | title=Current therapy in equine reproduction|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1vAJ2lbypRMC|access-date=18 April 2013|year=2007|publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences|isbn=978-0-7216-0252-3}} When a male wolf ejaculates, his final pelvic thrust may be slightly prolonged.{{cite book | first1 = L. David | last1 = Mech|first2 = Luigi | last2 = Boitani|title=Wolves: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_mXHuSSbiGgC&q=wolf+ejaculation&pg=PA44|access-date=19 April 2013|date=1 October 2010|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0-226-51698-1|pages=44–}} A male rhesus monkey usually ejaculates less than 15 seconds after sexual penetration.{{cite book|title=The pursuit of pleasure|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LiyrEhQPmRsC|access-date=19 April 2013|year=1992|publisher=Transaction Publishers|isbn=978-1-4128-3867-2}} The first report and footage of spontaneous ejaculation in an aquatic mammal was recorded in a wild Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin near Mikura Island, Japan, in 2012.{{cite journal|last1=Morisaka|first1=Tadamichi|last2= Sakai | first2 = Mai | last3 = Kogi | first3 = Kazunobu | last4 = Nakasuji | first4 = Akane | last5 = Sakakibara | first5 = Kasumi | last6 = Kasanuki | first6 = Yuria | last7 = Yoshioka | first7 = Motoi | last8 = Sakamoto | first8 = Kentaro Q. | title=Spontaneous Ejaculation in a Wild Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops aduncus)|journal=PLOS ONE|date=27 August 2013|volume=8|issue=8|pages=e72879|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0072879| pmid=24015280 | pmc=3755988|bibcode=2013PLoSO...872879M|doi-access=free}}

In horses, sheep, and cattle, ejaculation occurs within a few seconds, but in boars, it can last for five to thirty{{cite book|author1=Sergi Bonet|author2=Isabel Casas|author3=William V. Holt|author4=Marc Yeste|title=Boar Reproduction: Fundamentals and New Biotechnological Trends|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ta9GAAAAQBAJ|date=1 February 2013|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=978-3-642-35049-8}} minutes.{{cite book|author=Heriberto Rodriguez-Martinez|title=Control of Pig Reproduction VIII|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=em-TrWgAFSYC&q=boar+ejaculation+penis+semen&pg=PA15|date=1 April 2010|publisher=Nottingham University Press|isbn=978-1-907284-53-3|pages=15–}} Ejaculation in boars is stimulated when the spiral-shaped penis interlocks with the female's cervix.{{cite book|author1=Bonnie S. Dunbar|author2=M.G. O'Rand|title=A Comparative Overview of Mammalian Fertilization|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zjnnBwAAQBAJ|date=29 June 2013|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=978-1-4757-8982-9}} A mature boar can produce {{Convert|250–300|ml||abbr=on}} of semen during one ejaculation. In llamas and alpacas, ejaculation occurs continuously during copulation.{{cite book|author1=Chris Cebra|author2=David E. Anderson|author3=Ahmed Tibary|author4=Robert J. Van Saun|author5=LaRue Willard Johnson|title=Llama and Alpaca Care: Medicine, Surgery, Reproduction, Nutrition, and Herd Health|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8sU0AwAAQBAJ|date=15 February 2014|publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences|isbn=978-0-323-24291-2}}

The semen of male dogs is ejaculated in three separate phases.{{cite book|author=Margaret V. Root Kustritz|title=The Dog Breeder's Guide to Successful Breeding and Health Management|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rqIa-9jew_MC|date=2006|publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences|isbn=978-1-4160-3139-0|access-date=2015-10-21}} The last phase of a male canine's ejaculation occurs during the copulatory tie, and contains mostly prostatic fluid.{{cite book|author1=Edward C. Feldman|author2=Richard William Nelson|title=Canine and Feline Endocrinology and Reproduction|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=elPuvsucuY8C|date=2004|publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences|isbn=978-0-7216-9315-6|access-date=2015-10-21}}